


Pushing Through the Veil

by WitchProject19



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assumed Relationship, Ballroom Dancing, Cole with a phone, Dragon Age Spoilers, Drugs, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Helpful Cole (Dragon Age), Ice Skating, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Italian Mafia, Love/Hate, Mentions of Cancer, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Multi, OC/Solas - Freeform, Pre-Trespasser, Sharing a Bed, Sickness, Slow Burn, Smut and Ballroom Dancing, Spirit Cole (Dragon Age), Spoilers, Surgery, Time Travel, Trespasser Spoilers, f/m - Freeform, figure skating, m/m - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2016-06-13
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchProject19/pseuds/WitchProject19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time magic is dangerous, as everyone knows; it can change the course of the world with a simple drop of a pin or end it with a wrong phrase. In this case Alexius' time magic not only pulled the Inquisitor to the future it also opened a second rift on the back end of our world, the ramifications of such an oddity changing two lives indefinitely and possibly the course of the Inquisition itself.</p><p>-On hiatus while I edit and rework some of the basic story elements</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'll apologize now for the bad story premise but I wanted to try something new, so bear with me and I hope you enjoy!

There were very few days she wished it could be warmer outside, and today happened to be one of them. The wind was frigid, the snow was thick, and what little sunlight they did have overhead only acted as an unfulfilled promise of warmth and comfort. Erin had layered a thick hoodie under her trench coat with a soft scarf wrapped up under her coat's collar, the wind ripping through her clothes with little effort and leaving her exposed despite her best attempt to keep warm. She groaned quietly and crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for the crosswalk to signal the all-clear, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet to try and keep blood flowing in her frozen legs. The weather report had said six below zero, not forty, but apparently the snow hadn't gotten the memo this time around. Traffic finally slowed to a stop and she pressed onward, walking brusquely across the street amongst the throng of shivering people just as unfortunate as she, keeping one hand on her duffle bag to hold it in place at her side. Once across she broke through the crowd of tourists and headed left towards the main part of the city, ducking into the alleyway to avoid the next mass of pedestrians that were coming from the mall. She immediately regretted doing so, sinking her foot into a deep puddle of runoff water from a nearby exhaust pipe, cursing and shaking her foot off as best she could as the grey water soaked into her sock and pant leg. First the weird circus family at the skating rink pulling their kids from her class, then the kids who decided the wall of the rink could be an appropriate alternative to a urinal, and now this. Nothing was going right. Erin huffed and tried to ignore the squishing of her sock in her shoe as she hustled through the alley, eyes watering when a blast of cold air caught her full in the face when she emerged from the cover of a dumpster. She muttered angrily as she burrowed her face into her scarf and pressed on, stepping back out onto the main street and turning left towards the next crosswalk. It had been icy all morning, that she knew, but she had never expected it to be so bad after the sun had crested overhead, several cars skidding dangerously through the intersection as she began her waiting game yet again. It had only been a month since she had moved to Chicago and she already knew the layout of the city well enough to eyeball where she needed to go to get home. It saved on money for rent but it subjected her to the cold as well, yet she couldn't really complain too much. At least she had a place to go home to this time. 

Erin sniffled slightly and checked her phone, responding to a few messages from disgruntled parents and their poor, slightly bruised and frosted, children before the crosswalk opened up for pedestrians. It was a wonder anyone wanted to keep her as an ice skating instructor if all they did was complain about their children falling on ice. No one said it was easy being a figure skater. She sighed and pocketed her phone, slipping on a small patch of ice before she scrambled up onto the sidewalk, a sudden gust of wind ripping her hood off of her head violently. The weather was turning towards a storm, and she couldn't risk being caught in the cold for too much longer. Erin pulled her hood back on and bolted towards the park, weaving through the crowds as best she could without angering too many people on her way through. Once free of the traffic she began trotting across the open field of the park, waving to a couple of students simply to feign kindness. The little buggers were her worst, but they still needed validation considering their mother couldn't keep a cigarette out of her hands long enough to buy them breakfast. She sighed and paused between a pair of compacts on the opposite end of the park, waiting for the way to be clear before stepping out onto the road. She flinched at the sound of a horn, turning quickly to see what was coming. The truck came out of nowhere, Erin only catching a glimpse of the headlights before she could duck out of the way, pain exploding in her shoulder as the side view mirror clipped her and threw her into the compact to her right. She braced for the impact and instead landed in a large pile of snow, skin-splitting cold wind washing over her in the sudden darkness. At first she expected to be dead, but the thundering of her heart in her ears negated that expectation immediately, Erin standing shakily as she looked around in confusion. 

She was surrounded by snow from what she could see, the wind kicking up wave after wave of flakes and blinding her in the dark. There were no cars, no buildings, nothing. Just her and a massive blanket of snow in the middle of nowhere. She coughed and pulled her hood up as she turned her back to the wind, fumbling for her phone in the cold. There was no service, obviously, but she had a good ninety-two percent left on her battery to burn as a flashlight. The light didn't go very far, but it was enough to keep her from falling off any sheer drops. Her gloves did nothing to protect her against the cold, but she kept them curled close to her chest as she trudged through the knee deep snow, her shoulder throbbing constantly with pain. It was probably dislocated, but she didn't have the luxury of checking. Shelter came first no matter how bizarre the situation was. She tried pinching herself awake twice but both times only left her with a sharp pain in her arm, Erin cursing and ducking down as another gust of wind blew over her. There was no time to wonder how she had been thrown here, or even where ‘here’ was, all she could do was keep moving until she found some semblance of shelter, the silhouettes of several trees coming into focus after several minutes of indiscriminate walking. There was a light to the sky as she neared the trees, the sun rising directly before her as the minutes passed slowly. She shuddered and rushed towards the trees, ducking into the cover before yanking the branches down around her for better protection against the wind as she shoved her phone into her pocket, dropping into the snow and pressing her frozen fingers between her legs for any kind of warmth. Her feet ached from the cold and she could feel her blood rushing through her legs just beneath her skin, Erin searching through her duffle for the extra pair of socks she kept in her skates. Kevin’s speed skating suit was folded neatly at the bottom along with her extra set of socks and gloves, the entire set still dry. She sighed in relief and pulled off her boots and socks, switching to her new set and rushing to pull the suit on as quickly as she could, depositing her clothes on the ground and slipping into the suit before yanking her jeans and shirt back over it, then her hoodie and coat next, the hood on her suit blocking a good portion of the wind as she finished redressing herself. She pulled on her gloves and shoes with a sigh, much warmer now that she had an extra layer protecting against the cold, putting on the goggles Kevin had lent her for good measure and scanning her now lighter surroundings. As far as she could discern she was in a mountain range of some sort, the air thin and difficult to breathe but the wind had died down enough to let her see a little bit better than before, the trees only standing under the cover of a sheer cliff that stood a hundred feet taller than she did. 

The cliff was mirrored on the other side of the clearing perhaps a few hundred feet away, nothing popping out at her as a discernable landmark she could identify other than a small and long dead fire pit under the cover of the trees a few paces away. She shivered and wrapped her scarf tighter around her face before setting off towards the fire pit with her bag in tow, pushing through the thigh-high drifts with a small amount of difficulty with her growing fatigue. The fire pit was dusted with a fine coating of snow and ice, the ash blown away long before she had arrived and only a small set of tools left behind by whoever had built the fire in the first place. She searched the area for anything she could use as a weapon, only coming up with an old iron pot that was hardly worth saving from the snow. There wasn't much of a chance of her protect herself if there was, say, a bear, but she could at least use it as a threat if anything tried attacking her as she wandered around in this deadly cold. Erin looked around again, shielding her eyes from the rising sun as she turned in a slow circle, confusion setting in over her numb fear. She had seen a place similar to this before, the walled off canyon vaguely familiar the longer she took in her surroundings, it was almost like the mountains just above Skyhold. Erin huffed and started walking towards the sun, shaking her head in an attempt to wake up from whatever delusion she was currently living in. There was no chance in hell she was near Skyhold, no matter how badly she wanted to see the actual castle. It was fake, just a part of a game. A very cool part of the game, but nothing more. She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest, folding her hands into her armpits as she kept trudging through the snow in a straight line towards the sun.

She hit her limit at dusk, her legs too cold and tired to move any more than a few steps every few minutes. The last of her lunch was barely enough to sustain her as it was, and the wind was picking up again, leaving her lips and face chapped despite her scarf catching most of the ice and snow. Erin grimaced as she searched for a place to rest, her arm almost entirely useless now that the pain from being hit by the truck had set deep into her muscle, every movement leaving her with fresh waves of agony as she struggled to surmount the hill in her way. She paused at the top, legs quivering and panting weakly in the cold before she caught sight of a small cavern, her heart all but leaping from her chest at the chance at shelter. She waddled her way through the snow as quickly as she could, stumbling once or twice before she made it into the cavern. It was relatively small, but it was free of any snow and there was enough coverage from the wind to keep her warm, Erin ducking inside and setting her things down. There was an odd tingling in the air as she searched the cavern for any other inhabitants, her skin crawling with a weak charge of electricity that she put off as the cold fooling with her nerves. She shed her hood and goggles, shivering as she settled onto the ground for a short nap, setting her phone to go off in two hours once she had gotten into a relatively comfortable position with her bad shoulder set carefully to avoid any more pain. Her towels from the gym were draped over her legs, another one wrapped around her torso to guard from the wind as she set her head on the duffle bag. Her exhaustion took her under almost immediately, her eyes slipping shut as she fell into a deep but frozen unconsciousness, her legs pulled up to her chest as she struggled to stay warm. She had never been an avid dreamer, in fact most of her dreams she could either never remember or had never experienced at all, but this time was entirely different. The very moment she fell unconscious she was pulled into a vivid dream, Erin finding herself standing in a tavern much too similar to the Herald’s Rest, the sounds of boisterous drinking all around her as she turned to see where exactly her dreams had taken her. It was warm, or at least she guessed it was warm, she was still chilled compared to the patrons of the tavern, the smell of alcohol and baked food hitting her full force along with a fresh wave of cheering drinkers from somewhere to her left. She moved over to see what was going on, pausing in complete shock at the sight of four almost nude men sitting across from a very bald elf, his stack of coin much taller than anyone else’s despite his relatively neutral expression about the whole thing. She glanced at the other four who were currently losing, trying valiantly to avoid looking any lower than their shoulders and failing miserably on several counts, both Bull and Cullen’s rear ends displayed for everyone, herself included, to see. Varric was faring a bit better with only his shirt misplaced, but he was in the process of stripping out of his trousers after losing the last hand, Blackwall doing the same with his boots as a dark haired elven man stripped off his shirt to a small cheer by the crowd watching. Her face grew hot then, one hand coming up to cover her cheeks in a failing attempt to maintain some level of maturity, scooting closer to see what exactly they were playing. It wasn't as though they could see her, it was just a dream after all. A very nice dream as it was turning out. As if by some stroke of horridly bad luck Solas looked up from his new hand just as she leaned over Cullen’s shoulder to peek at both his cards and the pile of coins growing in the middle of the table, his eyes locking on her immediately instead of the greatly inebriated commander, who, by all rights, had a losing hand. She froze, staring back at him and hoping he was simply watching someone behind her, his eyebrow quirking slightly at her utterly dazed expression. His voice was coldly amused, as were his eyes, but it was clear he wasn’t tolerating her intrusion on the game, even if it was simply a dream.

“Planning on stealing some coin for yourself are you?” And that was the moment her night went to shit.


	2. Chapter 2

How they had convinced him to play Wicked Grace was beyond comprehension, but there he sat with his tenth hand in play and a very nice stack of coin to his right with a large pile of discarded clothes to his left, both the Iron Bull and Commander Cullen stripped down to their nethers with Varric and Blackwall not far behind. It should have been obvious it was a bad idea to play against a man who had traversed the Fade for years of his life, yet the clear amount of alcohol they had consumed loosened both their reservations against him and their purse strings, both of which he had taken full advantage of in his entirely sober state. Solas chuckled quietly to himself as Varric shed his pants and his last few coppers, taking the coins and placing them in his pile before looking at his next hand. Three serpents and a pair of angels, not exactly stellar but it would beat whatever the others had, the lookers on cheering as the Inquisitor shed his shirt for his loss. He glanced up at the commander and paused, a young woman leaning over his shoulder as she very obviously looked at his cards and then at the pot for the coming bets, a small amount of amusement flashing through him at her utterly terrified expression at his catching her. He quirked an eyebrow at her, smirking coolly.

“Planning on stealing some coin for yourself are you?” Cullen frowned at his comment, shaking his head blearily.

“Stealing? whadderya onabout Solas? Noone’sstealing annything.” He waved his hand to his own nude form, leaning on the table with a lamely accusatory finger pointed at him. “Ifanyone’s sealing is you.” He sighed and eyed the girl over his shoulder, her face bright red as she tried valiantly not to stare at the Commander’s bared crotch beneath her, instead locking her eyes on him to keep from dropping her gaze to much more interesting things. Her cheeks were dry and cracked, the same with her lips, a faint dusting of snow on her dark curls that he was sure wasn’t from outside, her clothes both foreign and damp from a snow storm somewhere nearby. It hadn’t snowed in weeks, and even then it was a small sprinkling that had melted before it had settled onto the ground, yet there she stood with snow and ice in her hair and on her clothes. 

“My apologies Commander, I was not accusing you of stealing, simply the young lady behind you who was reaching for your coin.” Cullen whipped around dizzily to see who he was talking about, the woman behind him scooting back to avoid being touched as his hand passed directly through her stomach, Bull turning to look as well as he downed another pint of ale with gusto. His fifth pint if Solas remembered correctly. She scrambled back and tried to hide without much need to do so, neither warrior seeing her as they turned back to face him.

“I dun see nothing, wahtreyou playinatSolas? Trynadistracfrom the game?” Solas chuckled and recovered quickly, picking up his coin and stowing it in his pouch as he stood calmly. 

“No, I simply wished to make you aware of a thief in our midst. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe it is high time I discontinue emptying your pockets while you are still conscious.” Varric waved him down, leaning over the Inquisitor’s lap.

“Waitwaitwait Chuckles, what’s yer hand?” He smirked and dropped his hand, everyone at the table groaning as he cleaned out the pot as well before turning and leaving. 

“Enjoy your night.” He wandered out after shooting a glance at the spirit hunched in the corner, beckoning her with one hand as he stepped out of the tavern. He started off towards the rotunda calmly, looking back once he was clear of prying eyes, the spirit rushing to catch up with him while ducking to avoid being seen. 

“I believe you are free from being seen, you can stop shirking about, thief.” She looked up at him and blushed slightly, moving to his side as he opened the door to his rotunda.

_“I...right..sorry..”_

“Do not apologize, I needed an excuse to free myself from the game as it was for fear of cleaning out the whole of the Inquisition’s reserves in a single night.” He let himself into the rotunda and held the door for her, leading her inside quietly. 

_“I didn’t expect you to be so good at gambling..”_

“Nor did they, and yet here I am with nearly a thousand gold in my pocket and my dignity intact.” He smirked and ran his hand over his desk, watching her examine the unfinished fresco painted on his walls. “Are you a spirit?”

 _“Huh? Oh, no...I’m human.”_

“If you are human then why was the Commander able to place his arm through you as if you were a spirit?”

 _“I..I don’t know...this is just a dream to me...I fell asleep...in a cave and...then this..”_ He raised his eyebrows, straightening slightly.

“You are dreaming?”

_“I...think so..? I don’t usually dream when I sleep but this is...different. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you about the day I’ve had.”_

“I have seen many things, anything you have done will pale in comparison to them, so please elaborate.”

 _“I..was walking home from the rink and I got hit by a truck, toppled over into the snow and somehow got transported to a mountain where I nearly froze to death and fell asleep in a cavern where I’m now sharing my dream with an elvhen god?”_ His demeanor immediately changed the moment she finished, his face darkening considerably as he scowled at her.

“Come again…?”

_“I..uh...I…”_

“What about sharing a dream…?” She grimaced, scooting back slightly in fear. 

_“I’m...sharing a dream...with an elvhen god…?”_

“And how did you come to that conclusion I wonder…” 

_“I-I-I only know because I...played a game..and finished it…?”_

“What game has…” He glanced up, checking to see if anyone else was near before closing in on her rapidly, towering over her by several inches as he pressed her against the wall, his voice dangerously calm. “What game has my identity as a prize and what did you have to do to acquire such...information..”

 _“I..beat Corypheus..?”_ He stepped back slightly and looked her over, clearly disbelieving of her confession.

“That is no game, that is the end to this war.”

_“I...yeah, it isn’t a game to you but...I’ve...beaten him several times…the Inquisitor’s name is…?”_

“Do not change the subject.”

 _“I-n-no, I’m trying to explain to you how I did it…”_ He nodded, watching her closely as she squirmed under his angry glare.

“His name is Maharel Lavellan.”

 _“He’s a rogue right? Uses daggers to fight?”_ He nodded again, quickly losing patience with her.

“He is, yes.”

 _“O-okay, stay with me on this before you...send wolves to eat me or something…”_ She was visibly shaking now, her skin paling slightly as she collected her thoughts. _“Al-alright, Maharel is my fifth playthrough, this game being a detailed account of the span of time where Corypheus threatened the world with the breach and his army of….templars…? He’ll start a serious relationship with Dorian after you guys go to the Western Approach and...do things.”_ She waved one gloved hand noncommittally, trying to be as vaguely descriptive as possible.

“And this pertains to how you know my true name how?”

 _“B-because you….you leave...after Maharel defeats Corypheus...and you...absorb Mythal I think…it wasn’t really clear in the cutscene but you do kill her vessel...Flemeth.”_ He backed away more, his scowl darkening.

“I would do no such thing…”

 _“You do after your orb...the foci thing...shatters.”_ She shifted awkwardly, shaking more violently now. _“L-listen..I can’t...keep telling you...things...it’ll fuck things up and I can’t risk...messing up time-lines an-and…”_ He quirked an eyebrow at her, almost amused if it weren’t for the danger she was currently placing him in.

“Are you insinuating you are a time traveler?”

 _“I-I guess-s-so...t-that’s the easiest way to e-explain it…”_ He nodded, watching her shiver and shake for a moment before he reached out to touch her experimentally. His hand passed through her face and connected with the wall, his brow furrowing slightly. 

“Where do you believe you are sleeping at this very moment?” She shuddered and gripped her shoulders, lips turning blue slowly. 

_“I-I’m...on th-the mountains-ab-bove Skyh-hold, I th-think, I’m not...really sure….it’s just...c-old…I can’t feel my legs...but I can’t wake up e-either...I’ve tried twice and….and I c-can’t..I think...I’m dying...”_ Solas nodded, turning away from her and moving back to his desk where he sighed and collected his staff, remaining as collected as possible.

“How badly do you want to live…”

 _“I...wh-what…?”_ He turned back to her with a dark frown, cold grey eyes locking onto her 

“How badly do you want to continue living?” Her face changed from confused to terrified, the woman gasping for air.

_“I-I don’t want-t-to...l-listen i-if this is ab-about your name I’ll-I”ll stay qu-quiet...I sw-swear, ju-just don-don’t kill me...please…”_

“It would be in my best interest to leave you to die in the snow, that guarantees your silence over a vague promise...what can you provide as leverage to convince me to find you?” She floundered for a moment, shaking both in fear and from the cold, her eyes wild and watering.

 _“I-I...I know...how to defeat Corypheus...a-and...I know...how to beat h-his lieutenant...I-I know what...red lyrium really i-is..wh-what it can d-do...wh-who will be the next d-divine...I...I know...everything...you need to know...to stay un-under the radar.”_

“I could simply torture the information out of you here and leave you to die.” Those words seemed to put the fear of god in her, the spirit-human letting out a terrified sob as she pressed against the wall. 

_“Wh-what if Corypheus’ men find me? If they learn what I-I know? If-if they find me...before you do...you-you’ll never be able to right your wr-wrongs...you’ll never be able to save the P-People from what you put th-them through last time…you’ll ne-never see the other gods again...you’ll always be alone...”_ He scowled, pointing his staff at her threateningly.

“You make a compelling case, but you have to prove just how badly you wish to live, and to do that...you have to outrun me. If I catch you before the night is up, you will die in that cave, if you evade me...then I will see about requesting a search for you in the mountains..” She hesitated for a moment, tears rolling down her face as she struggled with whatever emotions she was currently overrun with. Solas’ expression darkened further as he closed in on her, his eyes flickering with dangerous power as he growled low in her ear.

“You have one minute to put ample distance between us, and then I will hunt you down until I see the sun rise. Just remember _da’len_ , the Dread Wolf has your scent.” With that he pulled away and smirked, the spirit sobbing weakly and tearing out of the rotunda as quickly as her legs could carry her, sprinting up the steps to the library as he began his count down to zero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for dangerous Solas!


	3. Chapter 3

Her chest ached painfully as she clambered up the stairs to the library, heart thundering in her ears with each step she took, frantically whipping around the corner and sprinting towards the next flight of stairs to the rookery above. The crows didn't notice her bursting into the rookery, nor did the Tranquil who was caring for Leliana's prize raven, Erin tearing through the door and scrambling to get to the next set of stairs along the walls of Skyhold. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision and leaving a sickly salty taste in her mouth as she struggled to choke down her sobs and regulate her breathing, fear making it impossible to think clearly enough to formulate a plan of escape. It shouldn’t have gone this way. He wasn’t supposed to be cruel. The cold she felt in her bones was no longer of any consequence, though it made her legs feel like jelly as she took the stairs down to the parapets two at a time, wheeling her arms desperately to avoid falling when her foot caught on the last step. She wobbled but recovered at the last second, looking back over her shoulder as she started off down the southern parapet in a full sprint. Solas hadn't started the hunt yet, but she knew she had only a few seconds left before he would give chase, Erin jumping up the stairs and plowing through the watch tower with little regard to whoever saw her or was hit by the door she threw open. Once out of the tower she sprinted along the next wall as fast as she could, choking on her own breath as Solas rounded the corner behind her, several soldiers cursing at him as he pushed past them to catch up. The dark glare on his face was enough to silence their protests, Erin turning around and pushing herself to run faster, reaching for the next door desperately as she passed through it and into the next room. Her confusion was erased by fear as Solas shoved the door open behind her, her legs carrying her through the door and down the parapet towards Cullen’s office. She could only hope he had picked up someone to spend the night with to deter Solas from following her up into his room. Seconds later she was through the Commander’s door and up his ladder, grimacing through the not-so-quiet moans of ecstasy coming from his writhing bed as she clambered up onto the floor and slid under his bed, curling up with her hands clamped over her mouth to avoid making any sound as she waited for Solas to burst through the door. It was difficult ignoring the clear enjoyment above her, but the terror coursing through her veins was enough to quell any excitement she gleaned from the experience as the seconds ticked by in agonizing lethargy. His doors burst open and slammed shut beneath them, but neither the commander or his partner noticed, Solas racing off down the parapets and away from her. After a few minutes Cullen and his partner met their respective climaxes and settled in for the night, the female counterpart standing up and dressing once she had cleaned herself up enough to walk the parapets alone. As if on instinct Erin rolled out from under the bed and pushed herself into the woman as she tied up her hair, merging with her just long enough to bid Cullen a good night, climb down the ladder, and walk out onto the wall calmly. Solas blew past her moments later, heading back towards Cullen’s office with an even darker look on his face, murder blazing in his eyes. She jumped out of his way and cursed at him for good measure, immediately taking off down the stairs and back into the Herald’s Rest, ignoring the pleasant post-coital throb between the woman’s thighs. A part of her could feel the woman’s confusion amidst her drunken and pleasure addled daze, but she pushed her consciousness down as best she could as she waddled to Bull, who was now entirely inebriated as he stumbled his way through the tavern. He kept moving away from her, laughing boisterously at one thing or another and making it utterly impossible for her to escape her hunter while she tried catching his attention to possibly free herself from danger. Solas burst in from above and she immediately found she needed to cause a scene instead of attracting Bull, the first thing coming to mind making her vessel groan and complain about cleaning or something before Erin apologized to the woman and forced her to throw up on the nearest patron. It was disgusting, but it gave her enough time to push out from the woman and immediately race out of the tavern and into the courtyard as the Herald's Rest went up in chaos. Erin took a moment to catch her breath before making a beeline for the gates, looking up at the sky to check how much time she had left, the moon sitting just past the mountain range to her left. Only a few hours remaining, all she had to do was make it out onto the bridge and into the snow. He couldn't follow her there, not without risking death by the guards. She turned and rushed to the gates, slipping under them as Solas tore out of the tavern, picking up his own pace to a dead sprint behind her as she scrambled onto the bridge. There was no way she could outrun him on flat ground, terror clawing at her heart as he took a single stride for two of her own, his heaving breaths right behind her with each pace he took to close the distance between them. Her breath caught in her throat then, a memory from years past bubbling up to the surface from her days in Oklahoma, the malamute that had chased her through four neighborhoods before she jumped off of a bridge into the river. Gnashing teeth and claws that had ruined her favourite shirt and jeans right before she went over the edge and broke her hip on the oil drums. An idea suddenly sparked in her mind, the sheer lunacy of it making her all the more determined it would work. He couldn't follow her off of the bridge, and she couldn't die in a dream. Erin sucked in a deep breath and slammed her feet into the ground, halting her escape and throwing herself to the side as Solas sped past, the apostate whipping around and stalking towards her with an abyssal scowl. 

"I have you, _da'len_."

 _"Actually...for me it's just a dream, right?"_ She gave him a slightly victorious grin that seemed more like a grimace of terror before throwing herself over the edge of the bridge, not giving any time to think about the consequences as she plummeted towards the canyon several thousand feet below. Solas watched her fall over the edge as the guards caught up to him, panting and cursing his damned stamina before looking over as well. She was flipped around violently by the fall, eventually coming to an odd and twisted version of a skydiving technique as her arms flailed behind her, the wind rushing past her face and making her eyes water, a sick feeling building in her stomach as the canyon floor came closer. The last thing she heard was a scream, but she wasn't sure whose it was, the ground rushing up to meet her before the entire dream went black.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He hadn't expected her to jump, but the moment she did he knew she had won, his anger falling away to slight approval as he watched the spirit plummet towards the ground and fade from sight. Clever, but desperate enough to risk death from such a fall in the Fade. He frowned and pulled away from the edge, vaguely listening to the dressing down the guards were giving him before folding his hands behind his back as assuming the same cold veneer he always did.

"What in Maker's name were you thinking?! We could have shot you had we not known your face ser!"

"I was chasing after a would-be assassin, and thankfully I had enough of a bearing to detect them before they could get any further into Skyhold." The guards visibly blanched and scrambled to apologize for their inability, one turning to alert the others before Solas stopped him. "You need not worry now, they have already taken their own life, but I would suggest you report to your superiors and double patrols for the next few days."

"But ser-" He held up a hand.

"I understand I can not give orders, it was merely a suggestion. Now, please, before we all freeze to death, let us return to Skyhold." They shifted awkwardly and nodded, escorting him back without another word as he mulled over the options at hand. The best course of action would be to let her die in the snow, it guaranteed her silence and any other motives she may have had would be moot upon her death, yet the sheer number of people who witnessed him barging through the Commander's quarters and the tavern made it difficult to justify simply putting it off as a suicide only he had witnessed. Leliana herself could poke holes in that story without even sending her agents after him, and the Inquisitor was no fool either. He would question it and put him under surveillance, making it even harder to do what he needed to ensure the Inquisition did what he needed it to. Leaving her to die would leave himself open to uncomfortable amounts of scrutiny as well, which would inevitably lead to discovery, while keeping her alive may sway the inner circle members in his favour. No doubt they needed more validation to accept the fact he was not an evil apostate, and saving her life may help that acceptance along with Vivienne especially. There was also the matter of the information she swore she had, including the possible defeat of Corypheus in this 'game' she played, and considering she already knew about his foci would it be wise to trust in her enough to possibly salvage it from destruction? Would he risk losing such information over the vague possibility she may have a loose tongue? She surely seemed prepared to remain silent for fear of 'messing up timelines', but he knew little of her ability to hide things from normal people, much less the Iron Bull, a fully trained Ben-Hassarath agent. His job under the Qun was specifically to find out people's secrets and expose them, and if she was found out he would be the one responsible. He frowned, rubbing his chin as they entered the courtyard, the guards bidding him goodnight before moving to alert the proper authorities of his 'assassin'. If they wished to defeat Corypheus in a timely fashion the Inquisition would surely need her guidance, and in order to salvage his foci he would need every bit of information she had, even if it meant placing himself in danger of being discovered. In which case he would have to somehow guarantee her silence whilst she was in the Inquisition's care. Solas sighed and went to find Cole, knowing the young spirit would have better insight than he did to the current situation. After several minutes of searching he found the odd boy seated in his rotunda, his floppy hat in his lap as he stared up at the fresco above the doorway, a small lazy smile on his face.

“The colours calm the fires, make them easier to bear under weights on shoulders too old to be possible…painting helps?” He sighed, nodding slightly.

“Painting does help, yes.” Cole frowned, watching him as he moved to his desk slowly.

“But not now?”

“No, not now.”

“She didn't want to hurt you, you know.” He feigned confusion, listening to the spirit and his quiet voice.

“Who?”

“The girl you chased, halla from a wolf, frozen feet with no purchase but enough to glide gracefully through dreams made of ice and music. Her words were unbidden, too comfortable for normalcy, stumbling on frozen teeth and pained lungs. She didn’t know this was real...and now she doesn’t want it to be, but she does too, caught in between wanting and wishing. _He wasn’t supposed to be cruel_.” Solas frowned, watching as Cole tapped his long fingers on the desk.

“Who wasn’t supposed to be cruel, Cole?”

“You. Eyes aren’t meant to be daggers, but they pry into a heart faster, baring fear instead of blood, chasing out what pride had been and replacing it with shame. Elvhen on tongues meant to sing sweet lullabies not lash with fire, but fire on my skin would be better, cold, so cold, frozen eyes with tears that can't be wiped away, hands and mind suppressed like feelings rebuked wrong.” He grimaced, nodding. 

“I see, can you tell me where she is?” He shook his head, looking back up at the rotunda’s walls.

“No, magic makes it hard to breathe, harder to see, she just wants to wake up, but the cave is cold and the snow is coming faster. One word..wards. Feels like lightning on my skin, can’t seem to identify, push it away, but it pushes back.” There was silence for a short while as Solas thought, the spirit on his desk tapping away quietly before he finally turned back to him, a slightly disappointed look on his face. “You need to help, she won the game, it is not a question of safety, but decency, honour a pact or be less than you were before. Ask him, or I will.” With that he vanished, leaving Solas alone in his study with his thoughts. He would have to speak with the Inquisitor in the morning, there was little time to save her from the climate if what Cole said was true and he could no longer bide his time until she died lest the compassionate spirit pull his ruse out from under his feet for his cruelty.


	4. Chapter 4

The remainder of his night was fraught with nothing but stress. Solas lay on his back in his room, staring at the stone ceiling as he tapped his fingers over his knuckles. He had lost sleep over his choices before and this restlessness he felt was of no consequence, but it made the time pass so much slower than he wanted it to. Laying awake at night left his mind open to wander to places he would rather it not go, thoughts shifting to the girl again after he had tried reading his way through the night. Had he made the right decision by choosing to save her? Morally his gut screamed yes, but he couldn’t help but struggle with every reason that told him to leave her to freeze. For his own safety her life was hardly consequence, he had sacrificed many others for much less, but this was no longer a concern of his own safety, but that of everyone in Thedas and possibly Tevinter as well. Corypheus would wipe them all away before he had a chance to right his own wrongs and reverse what he had done to the People, even if they would never forgive him. He was already an evil god to them any way, so what was one more disappointment to children who could hardly comprehend their own heritage? He sighed and rubbed his face before sitting up and lighting the candle next to his bed with a lazy flick of a finger, stretching one arm at a time before twisting to pop his back. It was early enough in the morning he could bathe undisturbed without risking more annoyed looks from the guards on his way to the baths. He collected his clothes and pulled on a stray shirt before venturing out into the hall, walking as quietly as possible as he made his way down into the Great Hall. The hall had been reestablished somewhat under Josephine’s careful eye so they were no longer standing in rubble, and though the walls required quite the fix-up, they were stable and adorned with the heraldries of the Inquisition, the whole hall much more inviting to the eye with large iron braziers filled with fire and tables already being set for breakfast. The last he heard they were playing host to ambassadors from Orlais, and by the looks of the dishes being set up, they were in for flaky biscuits and miniature sized portions until the masked men left. He sighed and pilfered a roll from one of the plates and set about eating it as he walked, the buttery bread still hot in his hands until he made it out into the courtyard, Solas finishing the roll and dusting off his hands before slipping inside the underground bathing area. No one was there save a young Tranquil sweeping up in the corner and a pair of rats hiding from the cold, and to his surprise he was left alone once the young woman saw him start to undress, leaving him alone with the frozen rats to bathe in silence. He shrugged off his shirt last and stepped into the water, grimacing at the cold but ignoring it, immediately dunking under and starting to lather up the last of his embrium based soap. The cold did wonders for his thoughts, bringing him up out of a semi-exhausted state into full awareness as he rinsed off his shoulders, the door opening and closing quickly as Varric waddled in with one hand pressed to his temple. It seemed his night of drinking was coming back with a vengeance. 

“Good morning Varric.” The dwarf groaned and waved, dumping his things off and stripping before jumping into the bath, obviously expecting it to be warm as he sprang up with an extremely loud curse.

“F-for the l-love of- Chuckles, heat the damn b-bath up before I lose my jewels!” Solas quirked an eyebrow but did so, heating the water with a wave of his hand before turning back to his own business, ruing the loss of peaceful silence. “Much better, thanks.”

“Of course. Feeling lighter?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, very funny. Who the hell taught you to gamble?”

“A pair of particularly avaricious spirits in the Fade near Redcliffe, they seemed quite fascinated by your game right before we entered the keep and requested I play with them.” Varric whistled quietly, washing off some feet away from him.

“You got that good in a few months? Remind me never to bet against you again.” He chuckled quietly and rinsed off again before climbing out, drying off and beginning to dress. 

“I will do so the next time, do you know if the Inquisitor is awake?”

“Hell if I know, he was drinking all night last night, so he might be out of commission until noon. Why do you need him so early?”

“I...it’s a matter of life or death...a friend of mine is in danger and I need permission to go and find them.” 

“Ah, yeah, I’d go and knock if it’s that urgent, you know he isn’t too bad about us waking him up over stuff like that.” Solas nodded and sighed, collecting his things once he had secured his leg wraps. 

“Of course, thank you.”

“Yeah, hey, Chuckles?” He glanced back, the dwarf frowning.

“Hm?”

“How important is this ‘friend’ exactly?” Solas hesitated but bit back what pride he had with a small smile.

“She is the most important thing I have left.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, she did hold his identity in her hands, and that made her his top priority, though by Varric’s expression he assumed something else entirely.

“That kind of friend huh?”

“More or less.” Varric waved him off, smirking.

“Then barge in, quit wasting time with me. She isn’t getting any safer.” He nodded, folding his things and stepping out quickly before making his way back to the main building. Varric was known for spreading stories, and one more rumour concerning himself was the very least of his concern considering the stakes. This one would at least humanize him somewhat, and may alleviate a bit of the fear surrounding him. Once he had dropped his clothes off in his room he made his way directly to the Inquisitor’s quarters, pushing open the door and taking the stairs two at a time. Maharel was, thankfully, awake and dressed, his face less coloured than usual behind his dark vallaslin as he leaned against Dorian comfortably near the balcony opposite his feathery Orlesian bed. Upon Solas’ intrusion both men stepped away from each other, his dismissive wave replacing their fearful looks with confused ones as he stopped a few feet from them.

“Ir abelas for the intrusion Inquisitor, but this matter is urgent.”

“I-I can see that, what exactly is the matter?”

“Last night you no doubt were alerted of an assassination attempt within Skyhold, yes?”

“Yes, I was, you chased the man down didn’t you?”

“I did, but I am here to tell you that is not true. I was chasing a spirit, one I have never seen before.” Maharel frowned, his hangover fading slightly with the news.

“A spirit? Why were you chasing them around Skyhold like a madman then?”

“Because she was not quite a spirit either. This woman I saw and chased was human, she was entirely self aware, had a perfect bearing of her surroundings, but was translucent and had no physical form. She claimed to have knowledge of how we could defeat Corypheus and she knew you by name.” The Inquisitor stared at him for a moment before grimacing, glancing at Dorian.

“She knew me by name?” 

“Yes, she identified you and she also predicted several things that are destined to happen with total certainty, such as the impending trip to the Western Approach, something very few people know about.” Dorian frowned, crossing his arms.

“You’re saying she can see the future?” Solas directed his attention to the Tevinter mage quickly, barely registering the man's annoyed tone.

“She knows the future, and she is in grave danger. From what she could identify she was somewhere in the mountains above Skyhold, hidden in a cave.” The Inquisitor frowned, entirely confused now.

“But you said she was a spirit-”

“She took spirit form Inquisitor, her actual body is most likely dreaming so deeply that she is able to project her conscious from the Fade and into our waking world, how she is doing so is beyond even my knowledge, but she is freezing to death as we speak. All I ask is permission to find her.” Dorian glanced at the Inquisitor before speaking up, smoothing out his buckled shirt carefully,

“If she knows so much Corypheus’ men will surely be searching for her as well, we can not risk them finding Skyhold at the same time, it would be best to find this woman as quickly and as quietly as possible. The Orlesian dignitaries will notice you missing Maharel, but if Solas and three others left for, say, a scouting mission, they would be none the wiser.” Maharel nodded, running a hand through his hair slowly.

“That would work best considering our time limitation. Solas, are you comfortable leading a team into the mountains?”

“Very. I will take any and all aid to find her, if no one wishes to join me, I will go by myself.” He nodded, looking to Dorian.

“Are you willing to pack up and head out now?”

“Yes, I will pack immediately.” Solas nodded in approval.

“Pack warm and in layers, if you have any enchanted blankets or articles of clothing bring them to protect against the wind, and alert Varric and the Iron Bull of the situation, have one of them collect a pair of tents as well and meet me by the gates in a hour.” Dorian nodded and left quickly, the Inquisitor frowning once the door was closed behind him, worry and urgency lacing his words.

“Stay safe, please.” 

“Of course Inquisitor, we will return intact.” 

“Thank you...and please-” Solas held up a hand to quiet him, allowing a small, but hopefully comforting smile to spread onto his face.

“My lips are sealed, no one will know until you are ready for them to, it is not my place to announce the private relations of the strongest man in Thedas." His face lit up with relief, Maharel sighing quietly.

“Thank you Solas.” 

"Of course, Inquisitor." He bowed and left quickly, ignoring the glares he received from the Orlesians as he passed before racing up the steps to his room, grabbing his bag without ceremony and piling everything he needed into it. Miraculously he found his enchanted blanket after a few minutes of searching, folding it into his bag along with a spare set of clothes for the girl once they found her. He could not provide the underthings she would require, but it would be enough to preserve her modesty until they returned. He collected his tomes and placed them on top of the pile in his bag before locking his door behind him, flipping the key under his collar and making his way back down to the rotunda to grab his staff and the last few healing potions in his desk. Once everything was in place he wrapped his feet a second time to ward off the cold before pulling a thick vest of wolf and bear fur over his tunic and moving to meet the others by the gate. He felt a pair of eyes watching him as he crossed the courtyard and glanced up to the battlements, Cole leaning on the greyed stone with his hat pulled over his ears, a small smile on his face. It seemed the spirit approved of his haste. With a single wave Cole vanished, leaving him to stand by the gates with his thoughts swirling in a thousand directions, both Varric and Dorian arriving several minutes later armed and ready to go with Bull paces behind them with the tents wrapped beneath his bag. 

"I assume Dorian filled you in on the reason for the short notice, yes?" 

"Yep, Sparkler covered it all in about five seconds, but we got the gist of it."

"Good, we'll search until dark every day until we find her, is that agreeable?" All three nodded to him in affirmation before he turned and started off across the bridge, pulling up his hood against the winds coming from the north.


	5. Chapter 5

Three days in and still they had found nothing. The cold was becoming worse the higher they travelled into the mountains, his ears stinging from the cold despite his hood taking most of the beating from the wind. Solas recognized the area they were currently trudging through as the pass they had found the Inquisitor collapsed in after the attack on Haven, but it gave him little reassurance under the beating of each gust of wind attacking his face and chest. He shivered and gripped his staff tighter, pushing more mana into the wards surrounding the group as they made their way down the drifts of snow into the next clearing. He could feel the thinnest traces of ancient magic in the wind, not uncommon in such untouched portions of land, but it seemed to stir with their arrival in the divot of the mountain side, as if it had been awakened by something recently. 

"Chuckles, you doing alright up there?" He glanced back at Varric, the frosted dwarf looking at him with concern as he shivered under another gust of wind. "You're shaking pretty badly, everything okay?" Solas nodded, trying to quell the shaking in his hands and shoulders.

"I'm perfectly fine, these wards are simply more difficult to uphold than I originally thought. We should be clear of the wind momentarily." True to his word they were free from the wind once they ducked down behind a thick growth of trees, Solas dispelling the wards and leaning against one of the pines with a low sigh. The tingling under his skin was stronger now, his shoulders twitching uncontrollably as he let his energy return from such a lengthy expenditure. It seemed the magic was reacting to solely his presence now, and it was becoming distracting the longer he let it run rampant over his form. It reminded him of the power he had before his uthenera, the sheer virility of such energy. All four men were frozen to the bone and dusted with snow, though Bull was dealing with it much better than the rest of them, his hulking body covering them from the cross breeze. 

"Is that spirit giving you any clues Solas? Pointers maybe?" He shook his head, sighing.

"None...but we are approaching an area that is heavily saturated with magic, I would advise we continue carefully, there may be less amiable spirits drawn to the enchantments here." Bull grimaced, looking over his shoulder with a low growl.

"Not a fan of that..."

"Nor am I, but they are drawn to what interests them, we must simply be careful and give them ample space." Dorian shivered and nodded.

"Of course of course, but can we at least take a break from the wind? I'm afraid I may lose my nose if we keep bearing on like this." Solas nodded, pulling his vest closer around his chest as he shifted for Varric to get into cover better.

"That was the plan, we need to take a few minutes away from the cold when we can, there may not be decent cover for a while after this." Bull squeezed in closer, kneeling in the snow with a quiet grunt. 

"Y'know, we could set up the tent here and have two rest while the others search for a better spot for camp, then switch if we aren't successful. It's getting close enough to nightfall." 

"I'm gonna agree with Tiny on that one, this might be the best spot we get for camp tonight." 

"That would be best considering the turn of weather, Dorian, Varric, set up the tent as best you can behind these trees while we search out a better spot, if you have trouble send up a bolt of fire." Both men nodded and took one of the tents off of Bull's hands, Solas talking a deep breath before putting up the wards around them and stepping back out into the cold. The wind had died down slightly, but it was becoming colder as the sun began to set behind them, his lips splitting from the simplest changes in expression. He kept his head bowed against the wind, the shaking becoming even worse the longer they trekked on through the snow until he could barely handle the quakes wracking his arms and shoulders. To his credit Bull remained quiet, though it was obvious he noticed the increased quivering by his sudden presence by Solas' side, the qunari pausing at the top of another large drift of snow.

"Solas, down and to the left." He squinted through the wind and followed Bull's arm, stomach dropping slightly at the sight of a small cavern hidden behind a clutch of pines. "Wanna check it out?"

"Yes." His response was too fast for a neutral reaction, but he had several things to care about over the presumed 'lovesick elf' trope they had undoubtedly placed on him. They made their way down the drift and through the thigh deep snow as best they could, the shaking giving way to a sudden influx of feral power as he closed in on the cavern. He held out an arm to stop Bull from entering, indicating the thin enchantment carvings in the stone with a frown before he reached out to dispel them, carefully manipulating the enchantment until it fell away under his hand. Bull nodded in approval and started to dig out handfuls of snow from the entrance, Solas doing the same as they pushed into the cavern. It took a few moments to adjust to the dark but once they had Solas began searching inside, his foot colliding with something soft near the wall. He knelt and pulled back a thick cloth if some sort and found a pair of legs, immediately tossing the cloth back and doing the same with the next piece, the girl from before curled up on herself under a small dune of snow near the wall. She was cold to the touch but not entirely frozen, short gasps coming every few seconds as she lay in complete catatony. 

"Bull, she's over here." He looked up as Bull moved to his side, the qunari cursing quietly.

"Damn, she isn't looking good at all. Here, lemme lift her and you grab that bag, she isn't gonna last much longer in the cold." He nodded and moved out of the way, Bull lifting her up and curling her into his arms as best he could before barging out of the cavern and into the snow, leaving Solas to gather her things and follow suit. The trek back was a blur, but when they arrived the tent was set up and Dorian was placing wards along the perimeter, his and Varric's initial reactions being ones of surprise and then worry as Bull pushed inside the tent and set the girl down. Solas followed him in and squeezed past his considerable bulk to examine her. Her face was red and cracked from the cold, ice coating her eyes and cheeks in thin sheets as dried blood caked her mouth. Her clothes were frozen in place as well, the fabric stiff around her and making it exceedingly difficult to determine where the worst of the damage was. Solas grimaced and started pulling off what he could, handing the articles over to Bull as he removed them, struggling with her jacket before getting it free of her arms. 

"Bull, switch places with Varric please, if she wakes I can't have her crowded and risk a panic attack." He nodded and slid out, leaving her clothes in a pile in the corner as Varric made his way in.

"Damn, she really isn't looking good." He shook his head, using a weak fire enchantment to thaw out her clothes carefully.

"No, she isn't...I'm surprised she's survived this long." Varric nodded and moved to start wiping off the ice from her face gently, helping lift her up enough to remove the soaked hoodie as well. Solas pulled off the gloves next, checking over her hands and holding them between his own, slowly warming them without risking any more damage. She let out a quiet whimper as he tugged her shirt off without ceremony, both men frowning in confusion at the skin tight...thing she wore under the shirt. 

"What in the hell is that?" Solas shook his head, searching the front quickly before finding a small zipper along the center panel.

"I don't know, in my bag is a shirt and pants near the top beneath my tomes, grab them please." Varric did as he was asked as he unzipped the suit and peeled it off of her, his chest constricting at the deep black bruise wrapping around her left shoulder, the joint clearly dislocated and setting incorrectly. He pulled her arm out and began warming the joint before carefully pushing her shoulder back into place, taking the shirt as Varric passed it to him. He held the shirt between his teeth as he peeled back the suit to her waist, both men pausing entirely when their eyes fell upon the scars on her chest. A single line had been carved across her chest ending just short of her armpits, the skin pulled taut around another scar that ran down the center of her chest and ended below her ribs, Varric grimacing uncomfortably.

"Maker's balls Solas...what the hell happened there..?"

"I..don't know..that is new to me.." He bit his tongue and pulled the shirt over her head, carefully maneuvering her left arm to avoid making the injury worse. "I will ask when she is awake." Varric nodded and helped get the rest of her clothes off, dressing her in the loose pants Solas had packed before wrapping her up in the enchanted blanket, finally placing her arm in a makeshift sling carefully once they had gotten her to drink half of a healing potion without drowning her at the same time. They sat back and watched her for a short while, listening to her gasp for breath as she began to thaw out, her skin slowly regaining a natural redness as time passed. Varric whistled quietly, rubbing his cheek. 

"Y'know Chuckles, I'm not gonna lie, you have good taste."

"Good taste in what exactly." 

"Impossible women, and people in general. She was out here for Maker knows how long and we find her alive and at least partially well. She has a brand of luck I've never seen before, and that’s after meeting the Champion of Kirkwall." He quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, sighing as he watched her shiver in the corner of the tent. An impossible woman indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

The next two mornings were frigid but free of the wind that had howled through their tents on previous nights, the group packing up before securing the girl to Bull’s chest in a thick carry-all consisting of several blankets and a bedroll, her body thoroughly concealed from the elements and cradled firmly against him as they made their way back down the mountain side. The first day went by slowly, Solas having Bull constantly check her status whenever he could to avoid losing her as they wound through the mountain paths. As if by a silent, but unanimous vote, he was made to sleep in the same tent as her as well, being the most capable of keeping her warm and alive in the decreasing temperature, Dorian and Varric both giving up a blanket to aid in the warming process as much as possible without risking their own comfort. It was slightly irking how eager he was to carry her, but Solas held his tongue in favour of remaining on the qunari’s good side as he secured the last of the tent to his own pack, starting off down the trail carefully with Varric behind him and Dorian leading. Their progress was expedited by the wind at their backs and by midday they had made it back onto the main trail towards Skyhold, stopping off for a short meal and to check on their newest passenger, her status improving somewhat now that she was constantly boxed in with Bull’s body heat and a steady supply of healing potions. Dorian seemed entirely happy to take the wheel as the leader, his constant complaints about the Ferelden cold enlivening Varric’s need to tease the man about his choice of clothing. It wasn’t surprising considering the two enjoyed heckling each other over every little thing that passed their minds, and it let Solas think undisturbed as they entertained themselves with the count of buckles on Dorian’s shirt and the lackthereof on Varric’s. The enchantment on the cavern had been ancient, magic he had not felt in or out of the Fade since the time before Arlathan’s fall, but he guessed it was an enchantment meant to aid in the passing into uthenera, pushing one’s consciousness deeper and deeper into the Fade before sealing them away in an endless sleep. He would have to wake her as gently as possible to avoid damaging her mind, but the process was lengthy and invasive in every way and it would leave them with a lasting connection in the Fade that would become troublesome if either one of them, Ghilan'nain forbid, entered a sexual relationship. Dreams mixed with real world intercourse always ended badly for him. Always. Once they arrived at Skyhold he could enter her dreams and wake her safely, but he would have to convince the healers of allowing him such...intimate access with her once she was turned over. He sighed and rubbed his face, looking up as they mentioned him in passing.

"And somehow Solas stays warm without any substantial clothing at all. That shirt has more holes than a shoddy raft." He quirked an eyebrow, pursing his lips in mock annoyance.

"I consider it well worn." Varric snorted.

"There's well worn, and then there is over worn, and that used to be over worn Chuckles. The last blast you took from the Frostback put it well beyond that. You may want to look at a better tunic soon or the Inquisitor might strip you and make you play twinsies with Tiny here." Solas grimaced, thankfully well past his gratuitous nudity phase, his eyes darting to Bull’s completely bare chest. Simply thinking back on his past fashion choices made him cringe, and prancing around shirtless was one of the worst decisions he had made. 

"He would do no such thing." Bull snorted, shaking his head as he patted Solas on the shoulder.

"If you offend his taste in clothing much longer he might surprise you. Or buy you a whole new set of armour for your troubles."

"I would rather he find me a new set over being forced to expose myself to more danger." Varric chuckled, nudging him in the thigh as they started off over the bridge to Skyhold.

“With the number of barriers you put up the only danger you’d be in would be of a sunburn. It might do you good to get some sun either way.” He frowned at that, waving at the guards on the bridge to signal their return to Skyhold with a low sigh, watching the gates roll open as they made their way across. The Inquisitor was there the moment they crossed into the courtyard, two extremely grumpy healers following him and moving to take the girl off of Bull’s hands as he grinned at them, his eyes glowing slightly in the dark.

“I’ll say it again Solas, I’m impressed with your tracking skills. Fen'Harel forbid you ever lose your ability to find what you search for." Solas gave him a strained grin, shaking his head slowly. Oh, if only he knew.

“I am entirely sure I will not lose my abilities, now, if I may ask for yet another favour..” The Inquisitor chuckled but nodded, moving closer to listen as he watched the healers struggle with the bundle on Bull’s chest.

“Go ahead.”

“She is entering an enchantment induced uthenera, and in being human this sleep will kill her much sooner than any blade, I need to access her dreams to push her out before it takes hold entirely.” Maharel nodded, watching the healers lift her up carefully.

“Do what you need to, but let her rest before you start questioning her, waking up after being frozen will be bad enough without everyone and their adviser coming to pick her brain for answers. As it is I want her as an adviser of you find that suitable...her ability to see the future will be invaluable in the coming weeks.”

“Of course Inquisitor, I will be as delicate as possible.”

“Good, let them get her checked over then you can start your magic, and come and let me know when she’s awake, I don't care what time it is.” He bowed his head and turned to follow the healers, aiming to thank the others once it was all said and done. He helped carry the bags into the infirmary, letting the healers inspect her until they were entirely satisfied she wasn’t going to die under his care before dressing her down to the thinnest layer and handing her off to him, leaving them alone in a quiet room just beyond the training yard. Solas took a moment to decompress before removed his vest, hanging it on the door and moving back to look her over without infringing too much on her space. It was remarkable she hadn’t lost any appendages to the cold, but by the looks of her left hand she was at risk of losing the little finger. A small price to pay for safety within the walls of Skyhold. He began weaving a series of intricate wards around the room, blocking out all noise and suppressing the cold until he could no longer feel anything on his skin but the faintest traces of the magic left within the stones, placing the final ward by the door to alert himself if anyone entered whilst he was asleep. Once he was satisfied he shut the door and settled into the chair nearest the bed, leaning his head back against the dusty cushion with a blanket draped across his lap, letting his eyes slide shut as he fell into the first layers of the Fade. 

He found himself standing in the same room as he slept, the walls perfectly formed and free of the grime of age as he stepped out into the courtyard, breathing deeply to push himself completely into the dream as he made his way towards the stables. There was no sign of any spirits wandering the area, which was a very good sign considering what he was attempting to do, faint whispers of memories held within the walls reaching his ears. He followed the natural flows of the Fade, letting it tug him through doors and over walkways to kitty corners that no one could or would ever see, listening for the quiet cadences of this impossible woman's voice. She had an accent that he couldn't pin where exactly she hailed from, the gentle roll of her r's leaning him more towards the Tevinter borders while her quick lilting pressed towards Antiva, his ear twitching slightly when he heard a door slam. He made his way towards the noise and slowly opened the door to the kitchens, listening to the argument inside. 

_"No! I tol' you, we will not leave! Your chest is fine, now go to your room before the guests arrive!"_

_"Mama! Please! Mirá me! These knots shouldn't be normal!"_

_"Elena please! Close your shirt and go! We have business to do!"_ Solas frowned and pushed in further, his feet meeting some odd combination of sandstone and polish as he entered a very white kitchen, the smell of spices and sautéed vegetables filling his nose as a young woman fought with her mother, her dark hair tied up from her face as food cooked all around them. The girl's shirt was open entirely, exposing her breasts to her mother, the soft tan flesh warped and bruised with deep varicose veins that screamed infection and stretched thin over her bones. Her face was the picture of pain and fear, tears streaming down her hollow cheeks.

_"Mama! Look at what it's doing to me!! I need treatment!"_

_"NO. Go to your room, now."_ The daughter sobbed and cursed at her venomously before tearing out of the kitchen, Solas following her through the hall and down into a room past what he assumed was a living area. The tiles shifted to a fluffy carpet, his toes catching on the fibers as she pushed into her room and locked the door, sobbing weakly. He could feel immeasurable pain in his chest, his lungs ached for air but every breath he took tore at his skin, and there was a weight behind his heart he couldn't quite grasp, her sickness so painful he could feel it through the Fade. The girl coughed, the wet ripping in her throat making his skin crawl as she covered her mouth, blood seeping through her fingers with each forced exhale. She stared at her shaking hands for a long while before jumping into action, grabbing clothes and papers from drawers and producing gadgets he had never seen before from places just as alien to him, her belongings all landing in a single bag on her bed before she paused to cough again, each exhale becoming more of a chore to recover from, her face blotchy and red as she put a small device to her ear.

 _"Carol...I need your help. Seriously th-this isn't funny any more...I ca-can't breathe...the cancer is getting worse...please Carol, I need a ride to Knoxville, Tennessee...the cancer ce-nter is there. Yeah, they are-aren't letting me get treatment. Fuck, Carol, please! I'm dying and you're afraid of a kidnapping charge?! Just drop me-"_ She coughed, doubling over in pain, gasping weakly for air. _"Just drop me off and go home..the police...will side with me. Pick me up at the park in ten, I-I'll pay for gas.."_ She listened for a moment before nodding and pulling the device away, finishing packing her things as quickly as she could. After another once over of her room she pulled open her window and collected her things, climbing out onto what he assumed was a scaffolding of some sort. The window closed and the dream faded, leaving him standing in a small broom cupboard in Skyhold with the faint whispers flitting over his ears. He frowned and kept searching, following the whispers and opening doors to pockets of space within the Fade he knew were a part of her uthenera. He witnessed portions of a childhood within a hovel above the Chantry rooms, strange but upbeat music filling the void of voices before he was pulled towards the infirmary, a harsh beeping sound meeting him as he stepped into a completely alien room, devices and tubes hanging from the walls as a man dressed in a white coat spoke to the same girl from before, Elena, his voice quiet and grave. Solas moved in to listen, pausing by her side as the man addressed a black and white image with a small red stick.

 _“As you can see here the cancer has already spread to the lower portion of your right lung and into several of the lymph nodes under your arms and breasts. This scan is just preliminary but if you are to live any longer we will need to operate today, there is no time left to save the tissue or even reverse the damage considering the level of necrophy it is displaying. We will take pictures to send to CPS and a full report once this is all said and done, but since you are of legal age to make your medical decisions for yourself are you prepared to undergo the surgery within the next few hours?”_ She nodded and coughed, looking even worse for wear since the last time he had seen her, her hair thin and lacking any kind of life or luster as she reached for the papers.

_“How much will the surgery cost without insurance…”_

_“Approximately $37,000 without any complications, but with the level of damage you’re showing...I’d expect it to reach nearly $60,000 without coverage. That's not including the rounds of chemo you'll have to go through afterwards to put you in remission.”_ Elena nodded and signed the papers, leaning back against the pillows. 

_“That is fine, I will be ready for surgery whenever you decide to start.”_ The man took back the papers and signed them as well before handing them off to a young man in a blue jumpsuit, sighing quietly.

 _“I will send in the nurses in half an hour to prep you for surgery, be sure to go to the bathroom and avoid eating until then.”_ He left the room and shut the door behind himself, leaving Elena alone with the beeping of the machines, Solas moving to examine them curiously. The boxes displayed numbers and ratios he couldn’t make heads or tails of, a small tank of a flammable gas sitting next to Elena that seemed to be connected to her via her nose, her breaths weak and wet as she turned to look at him.

 _“Intruding in my dreams now…?”_ He looked up from the monitor and nodded, turning back to face her.

“Yes, but it is for your safety. You are in Skyhold, as I promised, but you are trapped in uthenera...I assume you know what that is.” She nodded.

_“The eternal sleep of the ancient elves. The cave did that didn’t it.”_

“There was an enchantment that forced you under, and is still doing so, which is why you are currently reliving your memories.” She looked around the room, wheezing quietly. “This will continue up until the point you fell asleep and then you will be locked away, so I will need you to follow me out of here and back into the Fade where you can dream normally.” He held out his hand for her, waiting patiently.

_“How do I know it isn’t a clever trap to wipe my mind and render me useless to you.”_

“Because I have lost the game we played, and I will uphold my end of the bargain. Cole would simply bring back your memories if I erased them, and then he would expose me to the Inquisitor, so you are safe.” She hesitated before taking his hand and standing, the odd minty green gown fading and shifting to her usual hoodie and jeans as she followed him out of the door into the Great Hall, fighting against the deep pull in her stomach to go back to the hospital room where the nurses had started taking pictures, the door closing and leaving them standing near the Inquisitor’s throne. Solas let go of her hand and turned to face her, examining her closely, his eyes lingering on her chest before flicking back up to her face.

“You saw the scars..”

“Yes, Varric did as well. Your clothing was frozen to your skin so I thawed it and removed the...suit that was underneath. Was it from the…” He searched for the correct word, frowning at it’s odd feel in his mouth. “..surgery?” She nodded, grimacing uncomfortably.

“Yeah...it was...they really did a number on my assets but...I’ll pay that price for being able to live to my fifties.” 

“We all pay heavy prices to survive..and I believe you have paid the heaviest. Now..I must ask of you one thing if you are to interact closely with the Inquisitor..”

“I...am I?”

“Yes, he has requested you act as his adviser for the coming battles and events concerning Corypehus and the Breach, all I request is that you remain thoughtful of what you present him and when, allowing him to know too much too soon could bring the Inquisition down before we have a chance in Halamshiral.” She nodded, looking down at her feet. “I will maintain my silence about your...origin..if you remain silent about mine.” 

“Y-yeah...I can do that..” Solas watched her quietly for a moment, noting the fear in her eyes and the timid stance she took with him. She was terrified of him, and for good reason. It was by his leisure she lived, and he would ensure she did not forget it to ensure she remained loyal. He sighed and tilted her head up with one hand on her chin, looking directly into her eyes.

“You fear me. I can see it in your eyes, and know you can not hide anything from me da'len...I would suggest you do not try to subvert me. It is by my leisure you live, and it will be by my choice if you continue to do so or not...do you understand?” She nodded and swallowed nervously, not daring to move for fear of angering him. He smirked coolly, pulling away. “But for now it is high time you woke up, Elena, there are many people who wish to speak to the impossible woman.”


	7. Chapter 7

Erin woke with a jolt, her heart jumping in her chest as she searched the room frantically. It was dimly lit, but there was a small candle on the bedside table, a faint scent of a heady musk and fur filling her nose with the blankets pulled so close to her face, her arms and chest aching horribly when she tried to push herself up into an upright position. She achieved a partial sit by the time the man in the corner noticed her moving, a warm hand closing on her shoulder and pushing her back down once they had put a book to the side.

“Don’t go trying to move just yet kid, you’ll regret it.” She sighed and lay back, looking at the man in the corner through slightly dry eyes. Varric grinned and sat back in the chair, taking a small drink from his tankard.

“About time you came around, Chuckles has been pacing like a mad man in here for two days straight. How’re you feeling?”

“Sore…” Her voice was a weak croak, but he nodded in understanding, leaning over to fluff her pillow.

“I wouldn’t doubt that, lying curled up in the snow for three days is killer on anyone’s back. Name's Varric by the way.” She nodded and rubbed her eye, wincing at the sudden pain in her palm. Erin pulled her hand away and looked at the spot where her little finger used to be, her hand wrapped carefully in a thick gauze that had been changed recently. Minor shock crossed her face, Varric clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Ah...yeah, don’t freak out, but the finger was almost totally dead when they cut it off..” She waved him off and set her hand back down gently, pushing her pillow against the wall and sitting up a bit to look at the dwarf easier.

“I...I’ve woken up missing parts before…it'll just take some getting used to.” He smiled sadly and nodded, motioning to his tankard.

“Want some? May help wake you up.” Erin nodded and reached for the cup, taking a small drink before handing it back to him with a small grimace. It was strong, but it didn't burn like whiskey or tequila, her head clearing somewhat as she felt it slide down into her desperately empty stomach. She sighed and tugged at the thick cotton tunic she was wearing, realizing, with a small amount of amusement, that it was one of Solas’, the fabric soft and well worn under her fingers and carrying the faintest scent of something woody and fresh, almost like evergreen trees.

“Thank you, Varric.” He grinned and nodded, leaning back casually.

“Any time kid, Solas said you were supposed to be treated like royalty while he was gone so I’m here as your personal assistant and tour guide.”

“He...no..he couldn’t have asked you to...really…?” 

“Oh yeah, and I’m not arguing, it’s kinda nice to be free of Seeker’s nagging once in awhile.” They both shared a quiet chuckle at that, Erin beginning to feel the faint buzz of the alcohol as Varric stood, brushing off his shirt carefully. “Well, I’m suspecting you’re starving, so dinner’s on me. What’re you hungry for?” She sheepishly realized she had never learned what kinds of foods they ate within the game, her silence followed by several awkward attempts at an intelligent answer until she finally managed to speak up.

“Uhm..something warm preferably..” 

“The kitchens have a stew that might do the trick.”

“Stew sounds wonderful..” 

“You got it, I’ll be right back.” He grinned and nodded, stepping out and shutting the door behind him, leaving Erin to sit in the room to wait for him to return. She sighed and looked at her hand again, the wraps rubbing uncomfortably against the raw flesh underneath as she tugged at the bandages carefully. They had made a clean cut down to the knuckle, which was good, the wound was clean and sewn together nicely with only a small amount of green fluid caking the incision area, most likely some elfroot salve. There was very little pain when she didn’t move her fingers too much, Erin sighing and putting the wrapping back in place as Varric walked in with a small tray of food, setting it down before helping her get entirely upright and handing her a bowl with a large cut of bread. Both were warm to the touch and she immediately set in after managing to hold the bowl without dropping it in her left hand, eating hungrily but slowly enough to avoid burning herself on the broth, the bread sour but well paired with the heavy beef stew. It could use a few more spices, but she couldn't complain with the onions and salt that left her mouth watering for more. She sighed in content, finding herself hungrier than she had first expected after finishing the cut of bread and half of the stew, sitting back and looking at Varric. He had taken to eating his food off of the bedside table, drinking down the last of his ale.

"Hits the spot every time, how're you liking yours?"

"Oh, it's delicious." She smiled awkwardly, blowing her hair from her eyes. "I'll admit I'm not much of a drinker but the...ale..?" He nodded, smiling. "It was very good too." He grinned and leaned back with a sigh.

"Yeah, we get some of the good stuff up here whenever Ruffles pulls her strings, and this time around she got some of the West Hill Brandy with the usual watered down wines, definitely worth a try if you're ever up to it." Erin chuckled and nodded.

"Any others you'd suggest, ser sommelier?" That earned her a full laugh, Varric pointing a finger at her with a cheeky grin.

"Now you're talkin' kid, I can see why Chuckles likes you." He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice so much she had to lean over to hear him. "Now, if you really want a smooth drink you have to go for a Mackay's single malt, it's a whiskey that's clean and smooth and it'll take you down faster than Tiny on a Friday night. That's where it's at kiddo, couple of shots of that and you'll be golden for the rest of the night." She nodded and sat up, smiling lightly with feigned confusion.

"I'll have to remember that. Who is...Tiny?" 

“That’s the Iron Bull, I just call him Tiny, he helped carry you down from the mountains.”

“I see, I will have to thank him later..is the whiskey worth the hangover?”

"Oh, it's definitely worth the headache, y'know, the last time I drank some of that whiskey I was in the-" Varric was interrupted before he could finish, the door opening and depositing not one, but two elves into the room, both rosy cheeked and cold, wearing similar expressions of worry. Erin froze in place when Solas looked her over, his face reflecting the tiniest bit of disapproval at the space she shared with Varric before it faded to relief, his eyes flicking to her hand with a small frown. Varric sat back and grinned, nodding to the two of them.

"Chuckles, Inquisitor, nice to see you two finally coming to check on me." The Inquisitor recovered first, his lazy grin falling easily onto his face as he shut the door.

"Aw come on Varric, I couldn't forget you in here. Besides, Solas has been trying for hours to get back in here to see her and I couldn't just let him burn a hole in the rotunda." 

"True, true, well, she's awake and in the process of being fed, so I'm doing my job if you were worried." Maharel grinned and turned to face her, his pale eyes dancing with kindness.

"That she is, good afternoon to you, I probably should have introduced myself before jumping into your business like this. I'm Maharel Lavellan, Inquisitor and First to the Dalish clan under the same name." Erin nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Inquisitor. I'm...Erin." Her name sounded pitiful compared to his titles, but she couldn't risk laying her full name onto the table lest they actually thought she was royalty, five surnames and two second names was quite a lot to handle on a normal day, and today was not even close to that. For now she would have to play her usual, subpar self. Maharel simply nodded and moved closer, settling into the stool with his hands folded in his lap. 

"Erin. I will need to remember that, I'm horrible with new faces and names, but I will try. But that’s beside the point, what I want you to know is your health comes first. Solas has told me you know things, that your second sight allows you access to information that we would be lost without, but I want you to understand I will not pester you until you are at least vertical and able to walk. The only people who know you have second sight are Solas, Dorian, myself, Varric, and my advisers, and this will be kept under wraps to ensure your safety from prying eyes and hands." She nodded, tugging at the tunic nervously.

"Of course...thank you." Maharel smiled and rubbed his hands together, looking to Solas.

"I should stop infringing on your time, Varric, if you'd come with me please, I had a question about those traps you were looking at making." Varric nodded and stood, leaving his book on the night stand.

"You bet, kid, if you want to read the book go right ahead, I know where I left off." He winked at her and left with the Inquisitor behind him, the door shutting and leaving them in uncomfortable silence. Solas moved to the door calmly and locked it, the sound sending a shock of cold fear through her chest as he began constructing a ward, his fingers tracing a set of runes into the ancient wood before he turned to face her.

"I...didn't tell him anything..."

"Obviously not, he would have reacted to my intrusion much more violently if you had."

"So...why lock the door..."

"Because we need to speak privately if we are to collaborate for mutual survival." She nodded, carefully setting her bowl aside.

"Right.." He sat in the chair Varric had occupied earlier, watching her with cold eyes. 

"The first order of business is that of our relationship with one another. Varric has made it obvious he believes we are romantically involved and the Inquisitor, along with most of his inner circle, share the sentiment quite enthusiastically." Erin felt her face warm slightly, her eyes jumping away from his. "This is, obviously, untrue, but in order to validate my reasons for being so desperate to find you we must maintain a ruse of some level intimacy with one another."

"You're saying...we pretend to be involved..?" He nodded, steepling his fingers carefully.

"Yes."

"S-so...I'll just..what...walk around with you and kiss your cheek, maybe stay a night in your room for appearances and then...just..act like we..." She trailed off, her throat closing off at the thought of actually sharing his bed, even if it was to simply keep appearances.

"Yes, I have done similar things in the past and it will be the easiest way to ensure we remain untouched by the less colloquial investigations." 

"And you don't see how this could go...in any way...wrong..?"

"I will make sure it doesn't, all you must do is entertain their queries and play along when you need to. Now, the next matter is of your origin, and where we first met, that portion will be key in making a believable story for them to gossip over later." 

"I-oh..uhm...well...I could...be from Antiva...my accent is close enough I guess...my parents...were importers of certain illegal items...and when I stole from them I..ran to Ferelden where I met you in hiding...? Runaway paradise..?" He thought for a moment before nodding.

"Believable enough, what would your family traffick?” She grimaced, realizing just how close to the truth her story was.

"Uh...drugs..? Rip-off lyrium...?" He raised his eyebrows at that, actually surprised by her leap to the extreme.

"Interesting. That should be riveting enough to keep them entertained until your novelty fades." She hid her pain from his words well, nodding as he leaned back into the chair. "I can abide by that story, I will pass you notes when it is acceptable for you to share my bed."

"R-right..." 

“Josephine and Leliana will be the most skeptical, but I will find a woman that is close to your description from Antiva to match the story.”

“Why...are we even playing this out exactly..? At first you wanted nothing to do with me and now I’m...going to pretend to date you...what changed…” He shifted uncomfortably, having the decency to look at least partially ashamed.

“I may have let slip details to our relationship to Varric.”

“Which is why he said you said I was supposed to be treated like royalty…”

“Yes. He wanted to know what kind of friend you were and I, mistakenly, said you were the most important person in my life, and though that is not entirely untrue, he assumed I was romantically inclined and not interested in you for my own self preservation.” She bit the inside of her lip and nodded, looking down at her lap.

“So we’re covering your ass for being too romantic?” He allowed himself a small self depreciating smile, nodding.

“I'm afraid so, yes." Erin sighed quietly, pulling her hair from her face with a grimace. The strands were oily and tangled, the whole mess making her nauseous.

"Fine...I'll play along.."

"Thank you da'len, we can speak at length later on but for now I believe you need to rest." She nodded and leaned back into the pillows, rolling onto her side away from him as Solas settled into the chair and picked up Varric's book, Erin slowly realizing that she may have landed herself into a whole new kind of trouble as she drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

She slept fitfully, waking in bursts but always falling under before she could truly discern what time it was or whether it was even close to daylight, her rest impeded by a gentle prodding at her hand after what felt like several minutes of extremely deep sleep. Erin groaned and tried pulling her hand away, something warm wrapping around her wrist and keeping her arm rooted in place as a flash of heat and discomfort enveloped her fingers and wrist. She turned to look at what was causing the pain and paused, watching as a young elf healed her hand. His fiery hair was cut short and was a sea of curls and twists that fell over his eyes as he weaved a healing spell over her hand, a faint blue tinge surrounding her wrist as his mana circled and stitched her skin together. Once the incision was completely closed he removed the bandages and patted her hand gently.

“Apologies if I woke you, you hand simply needed tending. Is there anything I can get you?”

“Oh...uhm...just a fresh pair of clothes please...and directions to the baths if that's alright…”

“Of course, the baths are just outside to the left of the stairs to the main hall. I will deliver the clothes there if you so wish.”

“No thank you, here will be fine.” He nodded and bowed out, leaving her struggle to her feet once the door was closed. Her legs felt oddly weak, but she ignored the wobbling in her knees and waddled her way to her bag, taking inventory of her belongings. Her phone was entirely dead, and unless she could find a lemon and some copper wires there was no way it was ever going to be charged again; her skates, speed suit, and clothes folded nicely inside but still damp to the touch. She searched her wallet and was surprised to find everything still in order, setting it back down when the elven healer reentered with a small pile of clothes and a bar of soap. 

“Hopefully these will suffice ma’am.”

“Oh, yes, these will, thank you very much.” He smiled and bowed again before setting a small bottle of...something on the bedside table.

“Please try to finish the tonic by tonight, it will help repair the last of the damage from the frostbite.” 

“Of course, should I take it with food?”

“If you can, yes.” She nodded, collecting her things.

“I’ll try to remember, thank you.” He nodded and exited the room, Erin picking up the bottle and sloshing around the minty green liquid with a small frown. It carried a faintly grassy scent, but for the most part it was overpoweringly raw with what she could only equate to rubbing alcohol. She grimaced but took several sips before heading out to find the baths, shuffling awkwardly past the many dwarven construction workers repairing the outside wall near the Chantry. Once she successfully waddled outside she caught sight of the door the elf had told her about, making her way over and pushing inside. Thankfully the bath was entirely empty save for several pigeons roosting on the rocks, Erin taking the chance to strip and drop into the water with little preamble, yelping when the icy water jumped up over her skin. Shivering and cursing quietly, she began washing off with the soap she had been given, dunking her head under after a six minute prep talk and immediately regretting doing so when her hair nearly froze upon exiting the water. The Canadians may make a sport of icy hair, but she was less than happy with the frost on her eyelids. Washing her hair was possibly the biggest chore now that she was short a finger, but eventually she was satisfied with the result and dunked under once more simply to rinse off before rushing over to the edge and clambering out. Once dried she dressed quickly, thanking the lord that the clothes were thick and soft on her skin, yanking on her skating socks before struggling with the leather boots they had given her. The ties were simple enough, but actually getting the things on was an entirely different story, Erin fighting with the boots before finally yanking them on past her ankle and tying them up as best she could. She dried and brushed out her hair last, sighing and folding Solas’s clothes into her arms and wandering back out into the courtyard to figure out what to do next, though it seemed Bull had another plan for her. The moment she was clear of the door to the baths he yelled at her from across the courtyard, waving one arm while he held someone under his other in a headlock.

“Hey! Kid! Over here!” She grimaced and walked over awkwardly, trying to ignore the looks she was getting from several of the nobles near the stairs to the Great Hall. Bull grinned at her and dropped his headlock, towering over her by at least two and a half feet as he turned to face her again.

“Finally awake huh?”

“I...yeah..more or less. Still getting used to walking and all, the altitude is making me a bit dizzy too.” She bit her lip and tried looking confused, knowing the qunari was far from convinced. “Sorry...but who are you…?”

“Ah, The Iron Bull is my full title but people shorten it from time to time. Head of the Bull’s Chargers.” She smiled and nodded, still daunted by his very real height advantage. He was at least eight feet tall and weighed the equivalent of four grown men. He chuckled and nodded at her with a knowing grin, nudging his companion in the ribs. 

“You’ll get used to it soon enough, it took Krem here a full week, you shoulda seen him staring and flinching like a puppy whenever I moved around.” Krem shot him an annoyed glare and rubbed his neck, straightening slightly.

“Great way to introduce me boss, making me look like a pansy in front of the lady.”

“Hey! Gotta give her some kind of chance to stand up against you.” Erin gave Bull a frightened look, his grin widening.

"What do you mean a chance against him? I'm not...fighting him am I?"

"Oh no, just making sure you don't fall victim to his charm and good looks." Both she and Krem looked at each other awkwardly and shifted, Bull simply laughing and patting him on the back roughly. "I'm joking, but on a serious note, if you ever need people to talk or drink with, the Chargers are open to the company. Krem here is a great set of ears if you need to vent about that elf of yours."

"O-oh...so you heard about...us." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and nodded, grinning wider.

"Oh, Varric's one of the worst people for keeping secrets when it involves a new couple. And who wouldn’t want to hear about that bald elf’s sudden, and surprisingly attractive human lover? You two are all the rage in Skyhold." Erin grimaced awkwardly, knowing Varric was much better at remaining silent than most, but she opted to avoid looking like a freak so early on and instead chuckled and pulled her fingers through her hair.

"Giving the storyteller a juicy new chapter is a pretty easy way for rumors to spread..." He crossed his arms and leaned on the tavern wall, Krem rocking back and forth on his heels. She glanced down at her pile of laundry and smiled sheepishly. "Say...um...I don't want to be rude but I have to return Solas' clothes...but I can come back in a little bit if...that's okay?"

"You bet, we'll be inside near the bar whenever you two finish ‘catching up’." Bull winked at her, or blinked, she couldn't tell with the eye patch, but she blushed either way, biting her lip and turning tail towards the Great Hall with the two mercenaries watching her go, ears burning with the assumed activities she and Solas were getting up to. She sighed and passed Varric’s table near the fireplace before pushing into the rotunda, pausing when she saw Solas bartering with Dorian over a series of books currently hanging over the balcony by a leather strap.

“Dorian, I would rather you not drop those books down, they are delicate and are to be handled with care, not thrown down a flight of stairs.”

“They will be perfectly fine, all you have to do is catch it.”

“I will not be ‘catching’ anything, please just come down and hand them to me civilly.”

“Why don’t you come up here and take them from me if you are so worried for their well being?" Solas huffed and moved towards the stairs to take the books from Dorian, the young altus snickering and pulling the books back to safety as he glanced at Erin.

"It seems you have a witness to your defeat as well Solas, how fitting it be your lady love." She smiled sheepishly and waved to Dorian, his lazy wave responding as Solas came up into the second floor of the tower. He took the books and hurried back down the steps with a purely annoyed expression, his eyes locking on her as he set the stack of books on his desk.

“I...ah...figured you’d want your clothes back..”

“I could have retrieved them from your room, but thank you.” He took the clothes and folded them again, pausing before handing the shirt back to her, his movements oddly fluid for a man acting against his usual protocol. “This you may keep, it seems the Inquisitor has purchased me a new set of shirts and refuses to let me wear anything but the ones he has given me.” His tone was jovial but his eyes bared no such sentiments, leaving her with little room to refuse his offer as Dorian snorted from above.

“He’s doing you a favour, Solas, you’ll thank him when you are protected from those arrows you love to attract so much.” He frowned and shot Dorian a light glare before turning his full attention to Erin, his body language changing to relieved and casual despite his eyes remaining cold and distant.

“I’m surprised you’re up and walking so soon, how is your arm?”

“Oh, it’s fine, still slightly sore but nothing I haven't dealt with before. To be honest the worst pain is in my lower back from sitting and laying down for so long.” He nodded, glancing up to make sure Dorian had lost interest in them before lowering his voice and stepping closer to her.

“I have found a suitable candidate for your identity, we will speak more on the subject tonight in the Fade.” Erin frowned, flipping her hair from her eyes again. It needed to be cut soon.

“But I can’t willingly pass into the Fade, I don't know how..”

“All you must do is fall asleep, I will find you.” His tone sent another chill through her, but she nodded, chuckling just loud enough to cover the sudden silence.

“Yeah, it did take me a few weeks to figure it out, but you aren't exactly the most subtle of mages, I mean, come on, the last letter you sent was ON Inquisition stationery. That and the raven had a cute little collar to match. The Inquisitor must be very fashionable." He frowned but caught on, nodding and chuckling.

“There is very little paper here that doesn't have the Inquisition’s symbol on it, would you rather I tear out a page from a book to write you? I hear Dorian has a very nice necromancy tome that has quite a few pages that are loose.” Dorian nearly dove over the railing at that, scowling at them. 

“You wouldn't dare rip out pages from a first edition tome!” She laughed, looking up at Dorian. 

“No, he wouldn’t, but the sentiment is nice. Do you have a second edition copy lying around somewhere?”

“Absolutely not!” Erin put on a heavily sarcastic pout, slouching dramatically.

“Oh for shame, I suppose we’ll just have to find some other book to rend from the seams to continue our heated pace of casual letter writing within the walls of the same castle. And here I thought I’d actually get to write to you Solas, but I suppose speaking in person will have to do.” 

“Oh what a pity that must be.” Dorian sarcasm was pouring from him in droves, his skeptical look melting over the both of them as he looked down on them in amused annoyance. “I don’t believe I caught your name?”

“Erin, and yours?”

“Ah, I am Dorian Pavus.” He did a small, yet sarcastic bow, flourishing his heavily ringed hands simply to add to his ostentatious performance. “Altus of House Pavus and resident librarian to the Inquisition it seems.”

“That must keep you busy.”

“Hardly, we have a total of twenty-seven books worth reading, the rest are Chantry driven drabble and propaganda against the elves, the Qun, and Tevinter as a whole. Absolute tripe I tell you.” She smiled apologetically and glanced at Solas, his attention turned back to a small pile of papers on his desk as she conversed with Dorian, the elf more than content to ignore her as much as possible.

“Well, if I ever want quality reading materials I will consult you, ser Pavus.”

“Oh none of that ser nonsense, call me Dorian please. But yes, consult me and I shall provide you with the best reading I can find, no doubt you are tired of reading Chantry recruitment novellas.”

“You have no idea. It’d be refreshing to have an accurate description of history for once.” He nodded, sighing.

“Indeed.” Solas tapped her shoulder and pulled her attention back to himself, handing over a small envelope.

“It would be best if you kept that with you at all times, it will be easier to find you the next time you decide to vanish.” She acted sheepish and took the envelope, the paper crinkling around something large inside as she tucked it inside the shirt he had given her. 

“I do have a tendency of doing that don’t I?”

“Yes, you do, now, I have a meeting arranged with the recruits in a few minutes, I will be occupied until sun down and possibly later, if you require my help I will be located in the training grounds near the stables. Try not to get into trouble while I’m preoccupied.” She nodded and smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek before she had a chance to stop herself, his breath catching slightly when she invaded his personal space. His face betrayed no emotion but she could tell he was not impressed or entertained by the step over his boundaries as she pulled away, Solas returning the gesture before leaving the rotunda swiftly, wiping his cheek off the moment he was out of Dorian’s sight. Erin felt a small twinge of pain in her chest but cut herself off from the self pity before it could fester, admonishing herself for thinking he felt anything but disgust towards her. They were playing a game, wearing masks, nothing more. She couldn't allow herself to think he would even entertain thoughts of her beyond cold manipulation. Dorian’s small groan of disappointment brought her out from her small revelrie, Erin looking up at him.

“And here I was beginning to think it was going to be quieter in the rotunda, just try not to make too much noise down there alright?” She forced a smile onto her face, nodding awkwardly.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to disturb the crows.” With that she bowed out and went to return to the tavern, hoping it may clear the sudden cloud hanging over her head. Erin paused in the Great Hall to examine what Solas had given her, opening the envelope and taking out a small amulet from within. It was circular in shape but by no means of human make, an intricate woven pattern carved into the cool metal as it flickered and thrummed with a power that sent the hairs on her arms crawling, the note coming out next as she pulled the heavy chain over her head. Solas’ handwriting was small, but had a very distinct curve to it, slanting just to the right with well formed but rounded letters.

 _‘It would be best you learn how to defend yourself before you get yourself killed, I will not be a guard dog you can call to heel.'_ She could feel the indifference in the tone of the note, but sighed and folded the papers before she bumped into someone walking towards the courtyard, her apology coming before she could really see who she had walked into. Maharel turned and smiled, chuckling.

“Arwen, I was just coming to find you.”

“Ah...it’s Erin, but you were close.” He huffed and smiled apologetically.

“Venhedis, I’ll get it next time. Anyway, we have a meeting in the War Room you are to attend so we can start your work as the...adviser. It’s starting soon, would you accompany me please?”

“I-of course Inquisitor, lead the way.” He nodded happily and led her towards the War Room, not noticing the sheer panic coming over his new companion as they passed into Josephine’s office. Leliana would be there, and she would surely ask questions, Josephine as well, and she still had no clue who she was playing as in this world. Perhaps that had been Solas’ plan, to test her with fire before handing her the bucket she needed to put it out. And if that was the case, she would have to prove she was worth keeping around. Something, she realized with a small grimace, she had done for the better part of sixteen years with her own family.


	9. Chapter 9

The War Room was exactly like she remembered from the game, well lit by the magnificent stained glass windows on all sides and filled with the massive table constructed of a redwood trunk and a slab of gorgeous pyrite with a map of both Orlais and Ferelden littered with markers and place holders, Cullen examining a small portion of the Hinterlands. He looked up as they entered, straightening and saluting the Inquisitor with a crooked smile.

“Inquisitor, you’re early.”

“Yes, well, I had to collect our newest member, you remember the conversation we had last night?” He looked at Erin briefly before turning his attention back to Maharel, nodding.

“Of course, I let Josephine know this morning about the arrangements.” 

“Very good, Erin, this is Commander Cullen Rutherford, our head of the military force of the Inquisition. Cullen, our Seer.” He bowed his head in respect and extended a hand to her, Erin shifting her things and shaking his hand deftly with a small smile.

“A pleasure. I’ve heard only a little of your abilities but it seems you are exactly what we need to finish off Corypheus. Hopefully you're up to the task.”

“I’m hoping the same Commander, it’s been awhile since I’ve had to interpret my visions for others...” He nodded, resting his hands on the hilt of his sword carefully. 

“Understandable, as far as I’ve heard the second sight is not something you can control. Is this true?” She swallowed and nodded, hoping she sounded convincing.

“I can control the intensity of my predictions to some extent, but I can not dictate the timing….the visions come when they wish to, I simply ensure I do not seize violently with each new development.” Cullen raised his eyebrows but said nothing, looking up as Josephine and Leliana entered, Maharel introducing her again to both women before turning to the map with a sigh.

“We may as well get the elephant in the room sorted, the Western Approach is our next stop but it looks as though we will have difficulty meeting Hawke at the area he wished us to, Leliana your report said there were Venatori crawling in every crack of that desert, does that still apply as of today?”

“Yes, the desert is an unforgiving place, and with the Venatori agents there you will be pressed by the wildlife and their magi. Several of our agents have taken care of a few outposts but it seems to have made little difference in their numbers.” Maharel nodded, indicating a small marker near the center of the desert.

“Have them start marking off where they find Venatori outposts on the map for when we arrive, there may be a link between where they are setting up camp and what their true motives are.”

“Of course Inquisitor, but we will have to purchase or make a more detailed map of the desert, from what Scout Harding has sent us it is a vast and ever changing terrain, they have reported that landmarks are difficult to rely on due to high winds and sandstorms that make travel extremely hard in certain areas.” He nodded, sighing quietly.

“Josephine, do you know if your topographer friend has anything worth using for our first excursion?”

“I will send a raven to her tonight and request a list of what she has in stock for us, I would also like to mention that we have received the preliminary favours from Duke Gaspard for the Winter Palace, he speculates he should have our invitations by the end of the month, which will give us plenty of time to outfit and prepare for the gathering in Orlais. Shall I request a place for our Seer as well?” Maharel rubbed his neck in thought and looked at Erin, her awkward shifting catching Leliana’s eye but went unmentioned as she mustered up the courage to speak.

“It...would be best if I attended. If only for the simple fact of causing enough of a commotion to give you clearance to figure out who wishes to assassinate Celine. Someone who can see the future, more or less, will be more of an interest to self-centered aristocrats than you, no offense Inquisitor.” He chuckled and nodded, Josephine taking several notes on her board.

“I was thinking the same. Add her to the list of those being announced at the beginning of the ceremony, if anything she can be another spectacle the Inquisition has to provide along with our Qunari and Tevinter allies.”

“Of course Inquisitor, it will be done once we are finished here.”

“Thank you Josephine, now, on to the next matter, Erin, do you have any insight as to what we’ll be encountering in the Western Approach?” She bit her lip, stretching to remember certain quests and details from the desert map, trying to look confident in what she spoke of. It had been almost a year since she had played the game intensively, but she could scrounge up a little for the time being to cement her ‘abilities’.

“You’ll want to watch for a draconologist. There is a man there that studies the High Dragons...he will be invaluable to the Inquisition if you help him find the dragon in the Approach. Red lyrium is...everywhere there, deep underground in the old lyrium mines to the east especially.” She nodded to the map, sighing. “I saw dracolisks instead of horses as you rode in, so it’s good to speculate the heat will kill any steed that carries a fur coat. And from what I’ve seen the weather will become hotter and less forgiving later into the month you stay there. That’s...all I have at the moment.” He nodded, giving Leliana a pointedly smug look as he smiled widely.

“It seems you do have a gift for foresight.”

“I’m sorry...what?” Leliana smiled lightly, indicating a series of reports to her left.

“We already knew of the draconologist and the red lyrium deposits identified by our agents, but not of the caches below the surface, tell me, are your visions influenced by what decisions are being considered by those within them?” She bit her lip and nodded.

“Somewhat, yes. As far as I can tell my visions are of what will happen despite the decisions of those involved...though I have been wrong before.”

“In that case, what do you know of Celine’s impending assassination? Will it happen no matter what we do?”

“I...I did see her die but there are so many variables with such an event that my vision may be obsolete by the time the gala has arrived. That is the difficult part of my ability, I may see what will happen, but it does not cement WHEN it will happen or if the preceding events will make it obsolete.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning she may not die during the gala, but before or after it. Your presence there will alter the events somewhat, and you may even prevent her death, but you may also only prolong the inevitable. Time is a tricky thing, and the Inquisitor has a way of altering the course of the world whether he wants to or not.” The spymaster frowned but nodded, crossing her arms and turning her attention to the Inquisitor. 

“Inquisitor I believe she does truly have the second sight, you have my vote to allow her to continue working with us.” Maharel grinned and patted Erin’s back, both Cullen and Josephine sighing in relief.

“...that was a test wasn't it…”

“Yes. I do want to apologize for the deception but I had to be sure what Solas said was true. I trust him entirely but we must be careful with what is taken in and out of this room.” She nodded and sighed quietly, looking at the three advisers before her face filled with dread, pained embarrassment hitting her when she realized she was still holding her dirty laundry in her arms as she addressed the four strongest and most influential people in Thedas. Leliana was the only one who noticed her fuming embarrassment and gave her a small wave and an amused smirk, listening politely to the Inquisitor as he began laying out plans for Erin’s safety and where she would be moved to to ensure she had a suitable room for her stay in Skyhold.

“Erin, we won’t be giving you an ostensibly large room to avoid any suspicion amongst the general population here and to avoid you being placed on any kind of list with the nobles that come to visit. Your ability is dangerous and well sought after, and we must hide it as best we can until the gala. The more of a scene we can cause with our den of misfits the better we will be able to move around the palace unseen.”

“I-I understand.” Maharel nodded and looked to Josephine, the young diplomat smiling lightly.

“Josephine, if you could get her new room set up and give her the necessary information I would be in your debt, Leliana, Cullen, we need to begin preparations for the trip to the Western Approach.” All three nodded and went their separate ways, Erin following Jospehine out of the War Room and back through the Great Hall, her cheerful conversation filling the silence.

“Your accent is from Antiva yes?”

‘Oh, yes, I was born there..”

“As was I! Where exactly were you born?” Erin felt panic wash over her, opening her mouth to answer when Varric interrupted their little meeting, his face set in amused worry.

“Ruffles, hey, sorry to interrupt but we’ve got a bit of a situation...you know those two Orlesian cloth masons you had moved into the new atrium?”

“Yes…?”

“Well, it seems they just started a tiff with the bakers from Redcliffe, nasty stuff. They’re cursing each other’s family with the Blight and I don’t think we need that kind of mark on our record.” Josephine gasped and rushed to alleviate the problem, Varric following her to avoid missing the action and leaving Erin alone in the Great Hall with only her laundry for company. She looked around awkwardly and decided to put away her clothes in the old room, miraculously finding it without getting horribly lost after a few minutes of debating in the hallway underneath the dwarven repair crew’s scaffolding. Once she had folded her clothes in her bag she placed it by the door and made her way back out to the courtyard, noting the rather loud argument between several men with Josephine in the center and choosing to avoid pulling her away from her work, instead heading into the Herald’s Rest to meet back up with Bull as she promised. Upon entering she knew she was in the right place, finding the massive Qunari seated near the back with a large pint of something in hand as he relaxed in the tavern. She twisted through the crowd awkwardly and finally arrived at his little set up near the back, the Qunari grinning from behind his tankard.

“So we didn't scare you off?”

“Well, no, you’re just more manageable when you’re sitting down.” He quirked his eyebrow, smirking.

“Manageable?” She felt her face begin to burn, grimacing in embarrassment.

“I-I didn't mean it like that, I meant you’re easier to talk to, I don’t have to stare at the sun and your face at the same time type of thing…” Bull chuckled and nodded, setting his tankard down.

“I know, it’s just fun to mess with the new kid. Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“Well...I do want to thank you...for earlier..kinda helped save my life.” He grinned, waving his hand dismissively.

“Don’t mention it, carrying you has hardly a chore, you weigh half of what my hammer does on a good day.”

“Oh..right.” She smiled awkwardly and glanced around, extending a hand to him with a small smile. “Erin, by the way.” His grip was exactly what she expected, hot, strong, and rough, Bull shaking her hand and chuckling.

“I almost expected something a bit more exotic from you, you’re Antivan right?”

“Y-yeah, mostly.” 

“Mostly?” She smiled apologetically, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to look sheepish.

“A small part Tevene on my father's side but nothing major...I think it was his great...great grandfather that was from Minrathous? Not really sure...they wanted to distance themselves from the Imperium as much as possible.”

“I don’t blame them honestly, it’s looking worse there every year.” She nodded, looking up as Krem made his way over with a bottle in hand.

“Need a refill chief?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine for a few more minutes, besides, I’ve got better things to do than drink now.” Krem glanced at her and smiled slightly, nodding.

“I’ll bet, we still on for that challenge later?”

“Oh yeah, isn’t Sera setting up still?”

“I think so, last I saw she was plucking chickens. making a right mess of it, but she’s grabbing feathers for something.” Erin frowned.

“Why would she be collecting feathers for a challenge..?” Bull grinned and leaned forward, pointing out to the wall behind the window.

“We’re seeing who can pull the best prank by midnight tonight. We each get about six hours prep time and then we have at it.” Krem pulled a face that was almost a pout, his disappointment palpable.

“And apparently he wants the Chargers to take part...so no sleep for us essentially..”

“I see...so...should I lock my door then?” 

“Only if you want to get locked inside with a bunch of plucked chickens kid, your best bet would be sleeping with Solas tonight.”

“...then you’d be able to prank both of us at once.” Bull laughed and leaned back, nodding as he took another drink from his tankard.

“Then it’s up to you to choose the lesser of two evils innit?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pranks? Pranks.
> 
> Also, thank you guys for the feedback so far! I'm glad you're enjoying! :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pseudo magic science ahead, this is just my take on staff-crafting and different forms of casting. Also, this is the last pre-prepared chapter I have so updates may get a bit slow as I get set up for my trip to Japan in a few weeks' time. I'll try to stay regular but I can't guarantee a set schedule.

Training alongside a cocky and expensively schooled mage was about half as enticing as he expected dancing with a great bear was. And yet there he was showing the differences between elvhen and Tevinter based schools of magecraft to a crowd of subpar circle mages and Templars. Of course, his style was so much older than Dorian’s, but he had to leave some room for appreciation of the sheer primal force the young Altus could bring if he so wished. Which was why he was recovering from a reeling blow to the chest at that very moment, ruing every minute he spent on his posterior in the stead of tearing the man open from the seams with a simple flick of his wrist. Had he been a few centuries younger he would have done so in an instant, but things were not so simple now. Solas grunted and stood, rubbing his lower back as he collected his staff from the dirt while Dorian addressed the smattering of Templars and mages watching their demonstration. 

"As you can see my swing was faster and more fluid than his during a close range attack, Solas' style is preferential to distance encounters while the Tevinter school can take a close relationship with the enemy so long as they maintain control of the encounter. The reason for this is the difference in the crafting of the staffs Solas and I use. Mine is a mixture of cured redwood and aspen, while his is only constructed of...?"

"Evergreen."

"Ah, yes. Evergreen is most supplicant to the spirit magics, as it is a more consistent and long lasting tree than that of Aspens or the Redwoods, lending to its deep connection with the spiritual side of magic. Redwood, on the otherhand, is best suited for fire and lightning based spells, its strength and resilience makes it difficult for the volatile mana to destroy the core of the staff when casting. Aspen wood is best suited for the ice and necromancy based spells, its core is willowy and aerated, making it easier to pass masses of mana through to better freeze or influence corpses, see?" He presented his staff and urged the audience to take a better look, pointing out the fused places within the wood and exposing the inlaid crystals near the head of the staff for their eyes. "Now, Solas' staff has a similar structure but is not as complex but allows him to bend and warp the veil to access spirits within the Fade. I believe that's how it works, yes?" Solas nodded in affirmation and let them examine his staff as well, remaining calm as they poked and prodded the crystals despite wishing they would not. Were they aware of how old those crystals were they would not be so flippant with them. But for the sake of appearing approachable and kind he smiled lightly and explained the functions of his staff as Dorian had, checking the progress of the sun once more. It was almost dark and thankfully he was expecting a very quiet night with no interruption before he was forced to interact with that girl again. Hopefully she was as disinclined to speak with him as he was her. Once the crowd was sated they bid them goodnight and began cleaning up, Dorian chuckling quietly.

"I am sorry about that last hit, I got a bit carried away."

"There was little harm done, I have taken much worse than that." 

"Ah, indeed. You did seem quite distracted, is something churning in that bald head of yours?" Solas 'hmmed' quietly but said nothing, collecting his staff and canteen.

"Could it be our resident apostate has his mind on something other than the Fade?" Dorian gave out a dramatic gasp. "Oh for shame man, has your lady love rendered you dumb with her presence? Or is it the lack thereof? You MUST tell me." Solas sighed and rubbed his temple, looking at Dorian with thinly veiled annoyance.

"I am simply concerned for her, is that so much of a crime?"

"Oh no, I was simply hoping for something more heated than fatherly concern."

"Please don't equate my feelings to parental care...it's disturbing to think of."

"As is the image of you two making love, but Bull seems to be quite enthralled by the idea. By the way, do you to 'engage' in the Fade or in the waking world? No doubt the Fade can be more adven-"

" _Dorian._ " He sighed and waved his hand, collecting his belongings.

"Alright, fine, I will discontinue tonight's tortures. Do come and find me when you wish to return Clavius' seventh edition tome on the Ice mastery. I have been wanting to pick up where I left off. Good night!" Dorian smiled and wandered off, undoubtedly to the tavern for his nightly wine and debauch with the Chargers, leaving Solas to fume in both embarrassment and anger. All he could have done, should have done, was claim she was a friend. And yet a simple slip of the tongue had left him in a mire of fake romance and assumed sexual activity he would _never_ engage in with a human. Not even in the Fade. Why people were so enthralled by the idea was beyond him considering the sheer, and obvious, danger of engaging in such displays. Desire demons were not known for sitting back and enjoying the show despite voyeurism being a major part of their game. He sighed and made his way back to the rotunda, absentmindedly picking out splinters from his staff as he walked, opting to finish the night with painting instead of fuming his way to bad dreams and irritability. Once inside the rotunda he put his things aside and climbed up onto the scaffolding the dwarves had provided him, collecting his brushes and paint before setting to work on the outline of the wolf's nose once more. His attention was immediately enthralled by the process of painting, Solas losing himself in the quiet of the rotunda as he began shaping the top of the wolf’s head and ears with careful and precise brushstrokes. All consideration of time left him, the quiet rustlings of a crow’s feathers above being the only sound that met him as he completed another portion of his newest fresco. He sighed quietly and reached to find the last of his blue paint and frowned upon finding the canister empty, carefully climbing down from the scaffolding to refill the small jar. There was a faint soreness in his knees and hips, something the relative cold was not helping but was well deserved after that day’s exertions on the field; Solas opening the ex-wine cabinet near the entrance to his rotunda and venturing inside to find the bucket of paint he had stashed inside with his larger collection of tomes. Once he found the large can he filled the jar he was using without making an utter mess as he had last time and turned back to exit the cabinet, finding the door jammed with very little hope of opening it from the inside. He frowned and pushed his shoulder against the wood with increasing force, even using a gentle fire rune to heat the door knob and hopefully free it from the jamb, his annoyance growing when he found a series of runes scribbled into the corners of the door. Someone had trapped his cabinet in the hopes of catching him inside, and by the faint curl of the rune shapes he was sure it was Dorian’s work once he had examined what he could of the glowing letters. There was no escaping until Dorian released the marks, not unless he wished to burn the door down and explain the scorch marks on the freshly waxed tiles to the Inquisitor. Solas growled and began pacing, utter annoyance powering his movements as he pulled together another plan to salvage what dignity he had before Dorian stripped him of that as well. There was the possibility of requesting Erin, Elena, whatever her name was', help, and since they were set to meet in the Fade soon he could simply request she meet him in the rotunda upon waking. It was simple, though it did risk a small portion of his dignity, but it would have to do. 

He huffed and settled onto the floor, leaning back into a comfortable enough position before pushing himself into the Fade, reaching deeper until he could move freely within the folds of the green-tinged world. The familiar and friendly wisps floated around him jovially and whispered the quietest of greetings, all of which he returned before setting off to find his newest bane. Room after room was opened to him and yet he found nothing, Solas continuing his search through the Fade until, finally, after requesting the help of a quiet and overly somber spirit, he found the doorway he needed to cross through. He stepped over the threshold and was immediately yanked into a warm room with pictures hanging on every wall, Erin seated on a couch with a thick blanket wrapped around her as she watched a box with images on it, a cup of something warm in her hands. She was smiling, an expression that he could not deny didn’t look good on her, Solas sighing and moving into her line of sight with a small frown. Erin jumped when she noticed him, paling and sputtering half an apology before he silenced her with a vague wave of his hand.

“S-solas..I...wow...you can really walk into people’s dreams freely…”

“Was there any doubt?”

“K-kinda...yeah. I mean, not of your skill obviously just….the limits to your reach in the Fade.” He quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, circling around the room calmly as he examined the space she had constructed. Comfort seemed to be the goal, the space carrying a faint feeling of safety and warmth mixed with the humidity of recent rain, Erin turning to watch him both out of curiosity and fear.

“Do you dream often?”

“I...no, actually. I never dream to be honest...but being here the last few days...I’ve been dreaming pretty vividly.” He frowned but turned back to face her, running his fingers along the wall slowly. “Why do you ask?”

“This place is a very real representation of your world, not many people can place tangible evidence of their memories in the Fade because they do not dream lucidly or carry deep feelings for places. It’s interesting to see a human capable of creating such a real construct within the Fade with little to no practice.” She nodded and smiled awkwardly, watching Solas circle back around to the front of the room. “But that is beside the point, we have much to discuss and I do not wish to waste time. I have found a suitable candidate, Lady Elina Varlet du Eteves Corlianna Lelay Gal Aschard, as your cover. She is presumed dead by her family after she ran away with quite a substantial sum of money in her purse and assassinated by the Crows for her insolence.” 

“Quite an ostentatious name…”

“Yes, but she fits your description loosely and has a record of being sickly, something her family refused to remedy on multiple occasions in favour of maintaining their public image.” Something akin to pity and understanding crossed her face, but he brushed it off as her empathy for the woman and nothing more, folding his hands behind his back calmly. 

“I see...do you have any extra information on her..? I need to know so I can follow a general life timeline.” Solas nodded and thought for a short while, gathering what information he had collected before continuing.

“Elina was born and raised in Treviso, Antiva under her family’s business in shipping and housing packages, they were also known for, or suspected of, upholding a long tradition of underground and illegal lyrium trade and tampering that was wholly responsible for their opulent way of life. Elina was apparently so outspoken against her family’s business that she attempted to run them into the ground by fouling trades and relations with the Carta but failed on several occasions, eventually stealing from her family and running to remove herself from the situation. The Crows brought back her necklace as proof of her death but it is possible she got away.” Erin remained quiet as she went over the information, tapping her lips with her fingers.

“Any siblings?”

“A pair of brothers, both of whom are currently neck deep in legal trouble.”

“I see...she...she fits...but how old was she when she died?”

“She was approximately twenty when she was killed, how old are you?”

“Twenty-three. So...that gives us three years on the run together...enough time to hypothetically fall in love. You woke up a year ago yeah?” He frowned, nodding slowly. 

“...yes. I did.” 

“So you being in Antiva during that blank time in your story will fit perfectly, and it covers how we ‘met’.” That had not occurred to him, he had simply banked on Leliana’s frazzled nature when he first arrived to cover for the empty spots in his tale, but this new development could indeed help him in further cementing his facade as Solas. 

“Indeed. Tell me, why did you change your name from Elina to Erin?” Confusion flashed across her features before she caught on, Solas watching her shift back and forth as she thought.

“I changed it because I couldn’t risk being found by the Crows again. Erin is a simple enough name but not too simple to be ambiguous and obviously fake.”

“And where did we meet.”

“Ah...Rivain. We met when you found me begging for passage to Ferelden and we fell in with one another simply for company and safety while I was receiving treatment.” He nodded, noting how well she developed a story with little to no help. A useful trait, if nothing else. “Why did you help me?” 

“Seeing a half dead woman begging for passage in Rivain is not uncommon, but once I saw the extent of your sickness I chose to help when no one else would. How old were you when you ran away?”

“Eighteen and a half. How long did it take the Crows to report back with her assassination?”

“A year, give or take a few months.” 

“Was she betrothed?”

“Assume she was for the moment, I only have limited information on her as of yet.” Erin frowned at that, watching as Solas examined her living room again.

“How did you find so much about this woman so soon? I’ve only been here, what...six days?”

“Seven, and I have had my people searching that entire time.”

“Right...your spy network within Leliana’s spy network. I get it.” Solas scowled at her but said nothing in his defense. “What kind of sex do we have.”

“Pardon me?”

“What kind of sex do we have? You know Dorian and Bull are going to be on our asses about that, and Varric will want to write smut, hell, the Inquisitor may want in on your nasty bits after this is all said and done so how do you want me to say we do it?” 

“I would prefer you say nothing about our...private interactions.”

“Obviously, but you know I’ll have to and I want to at least save some of your dignity as a man. So, bite down and answer with as much detail as you want.” He hardly had time to respond or rebuke her statement before she barraged him with questions. “Do you leave marks, how are we going to make them show up if you do? How long do you usually last? Are you rough or gentle? Do you take forever to get going or do you rush into it? Any awkward sex anecdotes I can use? Any particularly sexy sex anecdotes? Particular locations or positions you’re fond of? How good of a nose does Bull have?”

“I-what?”

“What on what question?” He growled in frustration and began circling around the room to vent his utter agitation with the current situation, hissing out his response.

“The nose one…”

“Oh, how good is Bull’s sense of smell? You know sex gives off all kinds of weird aromas and whatever so will he be able to smell our…” It was obvious she was searching for a delicate term, something he found absolutely unnecessary, but he did not interrupt her. “...aftermath.” 

“He has stated he can smell quite a few things from a decent distance so I would assume he can.”

“So how are we going to fool a Ben-Hassarath spy into thinking we do the nasty on a semi-regular basis like healthy adults? And what about Cole? He can barely hold back talking about how nugs feel, he’s going to, at some point, leak our lacking sexual interaction and this whole thing will come under question more than it is already.” Solas pinched the bridge of his nose and turned his attention to the opposite wall, taking a slow breath to avoid losing his temper.

“I would assume your scent will mix with mine the longer we share a bed.”

“That isn't going to count for much if, I’m assuming, we’ll be sleeping near each other once in a blue moon. And we both bathe regularly so what little rubs off on me will get scrubbed away.” 

“Then what would you suggest?” 

“I borrow your clothes. Significant others do it frequently enough and since I’m ‘Antivan’ the cold won't agree with me, so I’ll take your clothes and wear them regularly. It’ll rub off on me and it’s an easy way to keep up the ‘we’re totally fucking’ image.”

“That is fine, but what of me? You are not the only one who will need to smell...different.”

“I have a scarf you can use, I mean, it’s from my world but I’ve had it for years and it’ll smell like me. If I give you that to wear on a few missions it’ll be more convincing that we’re involved, I’ll rub off on you, and it’ll keep you warm.” She allowed herself a small smile of victory as he went over his options, Solas eventually sighing and nodding in agreement.

“That is acceptable.”

“Good, now, how do you have sex?” He growled inwardly and turned back to face her, giving her a dark glare. “Hey, I’m not happy about having this information given to me verbally either, but it’s how we’ve gotta play the game.” 

“Am I allowed to ask the same questions of you or is this entirely one sided…”

“I’ll give you answers every time you give me some. We’re in this together so we may as well be embarrassed and way too well informed about one another.” Solas nodded curtly and straightened his back, taking a slow breath in to accrue some form of dignity. 

“Fine. Begin asking.”


	11. Chapter 11

This was absurd. Entirely inappropriate. There was no reason he should even be answering questions so intimate, and yet there he stood fumbling his way through trying to explain how he went about engaging with a woman sexually. What was worse was she was responding in kind every time he answered. 

“Is that entirely necessary to know?”

“Yes, we need to be as convincing as possible so any tendencies you have I need to know, and vice versa.”

“Where I tend to ‘expend’ myself during sex is none of your business.”

“And where I enjoy being touched is none of yours but we got in this mess so I may as well know where you make yours so we can figure out ways to fool Bull and Leliana. You're walking a tightrope as it is, so this can either save or sink you.” He sighed and pinched his nose, sorely tempted to end the discussion but thinking better of it.

“I generally defer to the tastes of my partner at the time, though in most cases my spend is left outside to avoid any complications.” She nodded but made no comment, something he was thankful for, silence falling over them once more as she considered the next question. “I may regret asking...but are there any sexual tastes you have that may come up in conversation…?” Her face reddened a bit, Erin chuckling awkwardly.

“I...ah...I’m pretty vanilla honestly. I’ll experiment if we’re up for it but generally I just stick to...normal-ish sex practices.”

“I see.” She shrugged apologetically, blowing her hair from her face.

“Did you expect some kinky tastes from the girl from the future?”

“Not particularly, but I was prepared for it.” 

“And what about you? Any kinks? Do you have a thing for collars?” He gave her a hard look at that, scowling.

“Not amusing. And no, there are no preferences you should be aware of.”

“Magic in bed?”

“I am not that reckless, no.”

“Not even a few innocent sparks?” He growled and tried to hide the fact his ears were burning hotter than the sun, levelling her with a glare that revealed the full brunt of his annoyance.

“Sensory tricks and nothing more. If there is a request I may fill it but only if it is _safe_. Obviously you have never ventured so far, unless magic is present in your future.”

“No, no real magic. Just sleight of hand and illusions. Although if I had slept with a magician they could technically pull a rabbit out of my-” Solas cleared his throat loudly to interrupt her, biting down on his fuming urge to leave and never speak with her again.

“I do not need that image plaguing my mind, thank you. I believe we are done here, and I would very much like to switch to a more pressing issue.”

“It was just a joke, but fine. What’s wrong now?”

“I...am in a bit of a predicament.”

“How do you mean?” He sighed and rubbed his neck, collecting what little dignity he had left before speaking once more.

“I have fallen on the wrong side of a prank and I am currently trapped in my cupboard. Dorian placed wards so that I can not open the cupboard from the inside without irreparably damaging the door and anything within several feet of it.” 

“You just want me to open the door? Easy, I’ll be there as soon as I wake up.” He was somewhat surprised by her willingness to help despite his indifference towards her, but did not show it beyond a respectful nod in thanks, folding his hands behind his back neatly.

“Then I suppose we should part ways for now.” With that he exhaled and ended the dream for the both of them, pushing himself into consciousness and out of the Fade entirely, waking with a sore backside and an extremely uncomfortable kink in his neck. It took him a moment to clamber back to his feet, but once he had he stretched out as best he could before turning towards the doors once more, waiting for Erin to come and find him. 

The moment she woke up she rolled out of bed and pulled on her skating socks, yanking the nearest jacket she could find over her pajamas before sneaking out of her room and down towards the main hall. The stone was freezing even with her socks protecting her toes, but she didn’t care enough to turn back, hopping down the last few steps and quickly crossing the dimly lit main hall. Erin shouldered the door to the atrium open, tying back her hair with the only band she had left at her disposal before turning to search for the cupboard Solas had mentioned. Two turns around the room revealed nothing, but after she ventured towards the staircase leading towards the library she found the door in question, testing the knob and knocking hesitantly.

“Solas?” He knocked back, sighing.

“I am here.” 

“Alright, stand back then I guess.” She waited several seconds before throwing her shoulder into the door, grunting when it didn’t budge. After several more tries she knelt and poked at the knob for a short while, twisting it and pulling with as much strength as she could with her newly maimed hand to no avail. 

“For fucks sake...do you have a long metal tool in the atrium I can use?”

“There should be a long rod on top of the scaffolding I use for the frescoes, it might suffice.” 

“Right, I’ll be back.” She turned and headed back into the atrium, climbing the scaffolding and searching around for the rod in question before clambering back down and kneeling before the door to look at its hinges. They were old, but she could possibly pop them free with enough work. Erin sighed and set to work on the hinges, twisting the bolts out of place one by one until the top bracket was free, pressing her weight into the metal and yelping when the rod connected with the seals above the frame. It felt as though a bolt of electricity and ice passed through her fingers and into her chest, causing her to jerk back and drop the rod with shaking hands. There was no pain, thankfully, but it had startled her greatly, her breath shortening somewhat as she regained her senses.

“Erin? What happened?”

“I-I accidentally hit the-the wards...the rod..it conducted something and I...j-jesus...it felt like I got hit by lightning...just startled me is all.” There was a short pause before he spoke again, his voice slightly more sympathetic.

“That is understandable, I should have warned you about the seals beforehand.” 

“No, it’s fine..I’ll just be more careful from here on out. I’d suggest staying away from the door until I say so, this’ll take a while.” She crouched and picked up the rod, going back to pulling the hinges apart one bolt at a time, eventually getting the second one free and stepping back as the wood began to bend forward. “Okay, go ahead and push I’ll be on the other side to catch the door when it comes down.” 

“I would not suggest that, this door will be too heavy to catch alone. Move away and I will push it down completely. The Inquisitor will understand when I speak with him about this.” His tone barred no argument, so she quickly ducked out of the way, watching as the door came down with a startlingly loud crash against the stairs, Solas stepping out with a tired sigh. Once he dusted himself off he turned to face her, a small flicker of worry crossing his face when he saw her.

“Is your hand alright?”

“I- oh, yes. I just got shocked is all. I’ve definitely had worse but never with that much unpreparedness.” She tried an awkward smile, one Solas did not reciprocate, but her answer seemed to quell any worries he had, his posture slowly deflating as he moved over to his desk. 

“I would have thought Dorian above such pranks but apparently he can not resist the glory of catching me unawares.”

“You are a glaringly glorious target…”

“How do you mean?”

“Well...I mean...you’re a stuck up elvhen elitist that insists he’s smarter than everyone about most things and can't resist one-upping people whenever they something vaguely erroneous so…catching you in a moment of imperfection is kind of a trophy almost.” Solas opened his mouth to protest but found no point, finding her statement painfully true on all counts. He was a bit of an ass at times. Everyone was. He sighed and simply nodded in agreement, organizing his papers before turning back to face her. 

“An astute observation. Shall I walk you back to your room?” Erin chuckled and shook her head.

“Oh, no, I can get back on my own...besides you probably want to get to sleep soon and it's obvious you don't want to go wandering all over the place with me so I won't make you suffer any longer tonight.” She smiled at the jest and bounced on the balls of her feet as if contemplating doing something before turning and leaving with a quick goodnight thrown over her shoulder before he could argue. Solas huffed and let her go, closing up his books in his desk before blowing out the candles and leaving for his own quarters, trying to ignore the fact that she had sounded slightly sad at the mention of his distaste at spending time with her. Sad or not, she was aware of the situation between them and he was confident she was intelligent enough to remain within the role she was given, as he would, and everything would go fine. Feelings had no part of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *screams* It's finally done! Sorry for such a long wait, I really am hoping to get my updates leveled out soon so this can be more regular. Thank you for your patience and for reading this so far, it means a lot to me :)


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